Film Review: GOD’S CREATURES (2022): Emily Watson Turns in Fine Work in a Somber, Yet Fascinating, Film

God’s Creatures Review

God’s Creatures (2022) Film Review, a movie directed by Saela Davis and Anna Rose Holmer, written by Fodhla Cronin O’Reilly and Shane Crowley and starring Emily Watson, Paul Mescal, Aisling Franciosi, Marion O’Dwyer, Toni O’Rourke, Brendan McCormack, Isabelle Connolly, John Burke, Steve Gunn, Sarah Kinlen, Leah Minto, Philip O’Sullivan and Enda Oates.

When Emily Watson scored a Best Actress Oscar nomination for her amazing, towering performance in the formidable Lars von Trier masterpiece from 1996, Breaking the Waves, she proved she was a force to contend with. It’s no surprise that even after decades of terrific performances, Watson returns to the screen in the very bleak but intriguing new film, God’s Creatures, with her best screen work in years. Watson turns in a layered performance that is among the most complex ones she has ever given.

Watson plays an Irish working class mom named Aileen O’Hara whose son Brian O’Hara (the solid Paul Mescal) returns home after several long years abroad in Australia. Brian seems to have a mysterious background as the film presents his character to the audience. Brian’s sister, Erin (Toni O’Rourke) has a new baby who Aileen adores but Aileen also loves her older, middle aged son more than she probably should given his abandonment of his family early on.

Brian has plans to work in his family’s oyster business but he will have to walk on eggshells to avoid ruffling some family members’ feathers in the process of trying to earn his living again. Brian also tries to rekindle a relationship with a former flame who hangs out at the local bar and sings beautifully named Sarah (a well-cast Aisling Franciosi). She doesn’t seem too interested in Brian anymore but that doesn’t stop him from trying to push his way back into her life.

God’s Creatures is raw and authentic in its display of the events portrayed in the movie. A character cuts deep into a fish which is displayed to the viewer at one point and this symbolism could make for a visual representation of the way the movie cuts deep into the lives of the characters it presents to the viewer. This new movie makes no excuses for the way Aileen tries to protect her son from harm when she tells a lie on his behalf about halfway through the film. Well, in fact, it does make one excuse for her: She loves her son unconditionally but, perhaps, it’s time for that love to be refocused elsewhere because Brian is not worthy of the love she has for him. Or is he?

Directors Saela Davis and Anna Rose Holmer have fashioned a very disturbing movie but it is an efficiently made one. The movie shows that Sarah has become very frightened by her experiences with Brian. Sarah doesn’t come to work for days after a key event of the story line takes place. Aileen is forced to take sides and of course, chooses the side of her son. But, Sarah is let go from her job because of her lack of communication regarding taking time off from work. Sarah is a complex character here and the movie definitely lets the character develop as one we truly feel for, especially when she is told to leave the bar she has frequented for many years.

When assault charges are brought against Brian, the case is dismissed in court thanks to the lie that Aileen tells which is that she was there with her son when the presumed attack took place. Watson convinces the audience that she is doing the right thing because Aileen thinks she is initially doing the right thing but, alas, it’s much more complicated than that.

For all God’s Creatures does right, the movie also moves at a snail’s pace for a good portion of the beginning of the picture. Things happen which help develop the characters but do little to progress the plot. It’s only until we get much later into the movie that the plot really gels the way that it should.

With that being said, Watson carries the weight of the movie on her shoulders. This performance is a nice companion piece to her early work in Breaking the Waves where she played a naive woman who sacrifices herself for the well-being of her husband. In the new film, she stops the self-sacrificial behavior at one point because of the complexity of the situation she finds herself immersed in. Watson emerges with her strongest character in years as she brings more to the character than what was probably even on the page of the screenplay. Aileen cannot endure the deception that has been presented to her and is a character of integrity regardless of the behavior she displays which may suggest otherwise in the early portion of the film.

God’s Creatures is not an easy movie to watch. It’s too somber at times and very realistic even at the expense of sacrificing some of the character development it works so hard to achieve by tossing some key characters to the side towards the end of the movie. Still, though Watson emerges as an actress who is never afraid of taking risks and those risks which she takes in the new film make it worth seeing.

Rating: 7/10

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