God's Creatures

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2:22

God's Creatures

R

Released Sep 30, 2022

1h 40m

Mystery & Thriller

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

90%

Tomatometer

97 Reviews

55%

Popcornmeter

100+ Ratings

In a windswept fishing village, a mother is torn between protecting her beloved son and her own sense of right and wrong. A lie she tells for him rips apart their family and close-knit community in this tense, sweepingly emotional epic.

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Critics Consensus

Painfully raw yet rewarding, God's Creatures explores the limits of a mother's love with an outstanding Emily Watson leading the way.

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Wendy Ide

Observer (UK)

Well-meaning but dourly rote...

Rated: 3/5

Apr 2, 2023

Full Review

Charlotte O'Sullivan

London Evening Standard

[Mescal] and Watson are screen icons and we shouldn’t need reminding that while he’s in his prime, so is she.

Rated: 4/5

Mar 31, 2023

Full Review

Kevin Maher

The Times (UK)

Most remarkably, the film is the feature debut of two American directors, Saela Davis and Anna Rose Holmer, who bring a laser-sharp outsider’s perspective to well-trodden material.

Rated: 4/5

Mar 30, 2023

Full Review

Anna Hoang

Boston Hassle

The journey takes its time (the accusations don’t occur until forty minutes into the film), but if there’s one cause of death that doesn’t come quickly, it’s drowning, and Aileen is up to her neck in sorrow.

Rated: 3/5

Jul 20, 2025

Full Review

Francesca Steele

iNews.co.uk

Still, this is a moving and fiercely acted drama which, if not quite enjoyable to watch, is admirably assembled.

Rated: 3/5

Dec 11, 2024

Full Review

Calum Cooper

Cinerama Film

With excellent performances, remarkable direction, and a knack for addressing the nuances of its setup, it’s a gothic drama that’ll leave you taken in by its icy grip.

Rated: 4/5

Jul 17, 2024

Full Review

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Frank L

Tight movie. Great acting and story. Tension on the tens!! Only challenge was some audio clarity. Partly attributed to accents, maybe the theater, but I think some recording imperfections too.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

10/06/22

Full Review

SUSAN F

The acting was very good and the sound and cinematography helped create an atmosphere of mystery and emotion. Very well done by the directors.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/04/22

Full Review

Stephen C

Success in 1 hour and 40 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/11/25

Full Review

Jo H

I’m definitely a film addict and I love most things A24’esque so when I saw they were attached to the distribution, I was on it. This film is haunting, that’s for sure. The soundtrack is sublime and the narrative, very much of our time and I enjoyed watching the mother/son dynamic here however, I felt myself drifting off with my thoughts at other times, it didn’t captivate me in the way I think it had the potential to do so and the ending for me, felt a little rushed and far fetched. Emily Watson is wonderful to watch, Paul Mescal you can’t really go wrong with and it was nice to see Aisling in something other than The Fall as I wasn’t impressed by her performance/the demand’s of her character in that. This is a, if you have time for it, Sunday afternoon film that you can potentially nap to afterwards but not something I’ll be talking or thinking about in days to come ✨

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

06/29/24

Full Review

dave d

The tension builds and nothing really happens and then it happens too quickly in God's Creatures. It's a feature to miss. There are strong performances and beautiful scenery, but the climax is accompanied by 20 minutes of explanation. A frustrating Irish tale of woe. Final Score: 4/10

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

04/29/24

Full Review

Jason B

A dreary tale of working class Irish costal life where a mother makes a serious but reflexive mistake to protect her son, which quickly becomes a burden she has to bare. Overall a somewhat dark and somber film but a good one. Not over long and to the point.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/21/24

Full Review

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Saela Davis

Director

Anna Rose Holmer

Director

Emily Watson

Aileen O'Hara

Paul Mescal

Brian O'Hara

Aisling Franciosi

Sarah Murphy

Declan Conlon

Con O'Hara

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God's Creatures: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

In a windswept fishing village, a mother is torn between protecting her beloved son and her own sense of right and wrong. A lie she tells for him rips apart their family and close-knit community in this tense, sweepingly emotional epic.

Director: Saela Davis, Anna Rose Holmer
Producer: Fodhla Cronin O'Reilly
Screenwriter: Shane Crowley, Fodhla Cronin O'Reilly
Distributor: A24
Production Co: Nine Daughters, A24, WRAP Fund, Screen Ireland, BBC Film
Rating: R (Language)
Genre: Mystery & Thriller, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 30, 2022, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 30, 2022
Runtime: 1h 40m
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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