Directed By: Julian Higgins
Starring: Thandiwe Newton, Jeremy Bobb, Joris Jarsky, Jefferson White
Plot Summary: When a college professor confronts two hunters she catches trespassing on her property, she’s drawn into an escalating battle of wills with catastrophic consequences.
The marketing for God’s Country sells this movie as a straight white knuckle survivalist thriller in the vein of hicksploitation genre. Going into this, I wondered how Higgins would be able to bring something fresh to a genre that has been played out. However, as the movie unfolded, I soon realized that instead of spoon feeding us more run-of-the-mill backwoods havoc, there was something deeper at play here. This movie is less The Hills Have Eyes and more Wake In Fright. By that I mean, you won’t find any brutal killers, mutants or even over-the-top hillbillies of the Deliverance variety. However, those willing to engage with a slow-burn outing will find a richly rewarding experience. Instead of being bombarded with cliches, Julian presents a thematically complex film that challenges you on every level. There is something haunting and aloof about God’s Country that always keeps one at arm’s length.
This is a calculated move on the filmmaker’s part, and a specter of melancholia looms large over every frame and character which is drenched in a sorrow that feels oppressive and never ending. There is a cold and foreboding atmosphere that is as icy as the gorgeous vistas. Topics like racism, jingoism, sexism and entitlement are tricky to fold into a film in a way that doesn’t feel preachy or shallow. Yet, Higgins and Shayne Ogbonna (co-screenwriter) manage to take these hot button issues and bring something new and provocative to the discourse. There is also a bitterly ironic juxtaposition setting this around the holidays that works really well here.
Visually, this is maybe one of the most effective and beautiful looking films I’ve seen in a while. Director of photography Andrew Wheeler captures the harsh and untamed winter landscape which not only evokes a creepy feeling, but it also acts as a metaphor for the stark and bleak human drama playing out amongst tranquil settings. Seriously, I cannot stress just how impressive and well thought out the look of this movie is. Little details like a quick shot of snow dripping off boots add to a bigger mosaic. Higgins doesn’t have a lot of features under his belt, yet this movie feels like it was crafted by a seasoned pro.
The great Thandiwe Newton is tasked with being the films emotional centerpiece, and the bulk of the film rests on her shoulders. Thankfully, Newton brings a complex, layered and thoughtful performance and manages to find the nuance in and between the text. God’s Country is the perfect venue to remind us all that Thandiwe Newton is a damn great actor, and we need to put her in lots more things. The supporting cast is also top notch with Jefferson White, Jeremy Bobb and Joris Jarsky all meshing well together. There is not a single sour performance in the entire cast.
God’s Country is maybe best described as a quiet storm of a film. It slowly builds its isolation and dread until it sneaks up, and hammers you with a finale that is bloodless, yet feels more devasting than any Saw film could ever conjure up. This movie never goes for shock value; instead, director Julian Higgins forces you to take this journey and examine the darkness that simmers just below the icy crust of a cold and uncaring country.
To say this is a revenge thriller is reductive, despite the marketing leaning into that. God’s Country is a brilliant, isolated and eerie film without the thriller theatrics. It’s the quiet dread and depression that reminded me of a Coen Brothers film, which is honestly the highest of compliments. For those into slow-burn movies, its one that will stick with you long after the credits roll.
God’s Country is currently playing in select theaters and available to rent or own on Digital platforms.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92kQD4fc0a0]
God’s Country is a brilliant, isolated and eerie film without the thriller theatrics.
Big film nerd and TCM Obsessed. Author of The Ultimate Guide to Strange Cinema from Schiffer Publishing. Resume includes: AMC’s The Bite, Scream Magazine etc. Love all kinds of movies and television and have interviewed a wide range of actors, writers, producers and directors. I currently am a regular co-host on the podcast The Humanoids from the Deep Dive and have a second book in the works from Bear Manor.
