Godland

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Godland

Released Feb 3, 2023

2h 23m

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

92%

Tomatometer

74 Reviews

76%

Popcornmeter

100+ Ratings

In the late 19th century, a young Danish priest travels to a remote part of Iceland to build a church and photograph its people. But the deeper he goes into the unforgiving landscape, the more he strays from his purpose, the mission and morality.

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Critics Consensus

Necessarily bleak but shot through with moments of humor, the beautifully filmed Godland serves as a gently absorbing meditation on mortality.

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Paul Byrnes

Sydney Morning Herald

Like all the best movies, we can’t tell where this is going. When it arrives, the finale is worthy of all that has come before. Nobody makes movies like this any more -- except that some do.

Rated: 4.5/5

Aug 17, 2023

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Whelan Barzey

Time Out

You’d be hard pressed to find a more immersive Winter Wonderland experience than Godland.

Rated: 3/5

Jul 25, 2023

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Ty Burr

Ty Burr's Watch List (Substack)

It's an unforgettable movie yet one whose meanings seem to lie just beyond reach, and it marks the arrival of a new filmmaker whose roots tap into something unfathomably old.

Rated: 3.5/4

Jun 23, 2023

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Alejandro Lingenti

La Nación (Argentina)

...Godland is a project marked by the challenge of filming in a hostile environment. Hylnur Pálmason has successfully brought this difficulty to the forefront of a story where the setting plays a decisive role. [Full review in Spanish]

Rated: 3/5

Aug 14, 2025

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Pablo O. Scholz

Clarín

[Hlynur Pálmason] masterfully depicts how the failure of a colonial enterprise shaped—and will continue to shape—the cultural identity of both the "colonist" and the natives. [Full review in Spanish]

Rated: 4/4

Aug 14, 2025

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Emiliano Basile

EscribiendoCine

Godland not only tells a story, but immerses us in a sensorial experience where cinema and photography merge into a precious, almost ghostly aesthetic. [Full review in Spanish]

Rated: 8/10

Aug 13, 2025

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Audience Member

A relaxing film that really draws you in with all of it's space and long drawn out shots. Amazing cinematography with beautiful landscapes, shot with a lovely film aesthetic. Hard to to believe this was made in 2022 and not the 80s. I really enjoyed this.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

04/18/25

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Harry H

The one star is simply for the cinematography. However, if you want to watch sweeping long drawn out shots of Iceland, perhaps choose a David Attenborough with the mute on. The storyline is badly pieced together, and the character profiles are illogical and not explained. Could easily have been half the time and still shown the same.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

02/24/25

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Oleksii S

Unbelievable, atmospheric colors. Slow burn with multiple explosions in the end. Everything in its right place.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/16/25

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Grant H

If you like overly long, lingering shots of desolate Icelandic countryside then this is the film for you. It's bleak, joyless and could have been pared back from its 2 hour 20 minute length. Tough going.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

03/31/24

Full Review

JR C

Another tragic tale set in a sleepy, picturesque village—I am all for it. Some will find its pace too slow and quiet but I drifted with it, frame by frame, one stir at a time. Let the contexts on colonialism do the clamor through Elliott Crosset Hove's performance. And Maira von Hausswolff - The Academy may have snubbed you but not me. Your work, especially in Godland, blew me away and right off the hills of Iceland. The framing and the beauty in every still shot and panning. You put the godland in Godland. Just beautiful.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/29/24

Full Review

Audience Member

Stunning film worth watching

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/17/24

Full Review

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Hlynur Pálmason

Director

Elliott Crosset Hove

Lucas

Ingvar Eggert Sigurðsson

Ragnar

Vic Carmen Sonne

Anna

Jacob Lohmann

Carl

Ída Mekkín Hlynsdóttir

Ida

Godland: Trailer 1

2:07

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Synopsis

In the late 19th century, a young Danish priest travels to a remote part of Iceland to build a church and photograph its people. But the deeper he goes into the unforgiving landscape, the more he strays from his purpose, the mission and morality.

Director: Hlynur Pálmason
Producer: Katrin Pors, Eva Jakobsen, Mikkel Jersin, Anton Máni Svansson
Screenwriter: Hlynur Pálmason, Hlynur Pálmason
Distributor: Janus Films
Production Co: Join Motion Pictures, Snowglobe
Genre: Drama
Original Language: Danish
Release Date (Theaters): Feb 3, 2023, Limited
Box Office (Gross USA): $60.1K
Runtime: 2h 23m

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