04 Oct God’s Creatures Review

GOD’S CREATURES

dir. Saela Davis and Anna Rose Holmer, starring Emily Watson, Paul Mescal, and Aisling Franciosi

God’s Creatures, the latest release from prestige distribution company A24, is an impactful drama focused on an Irish seaside town torn apart by a lie told by Aileen O’Hara as she attempts to protect her son Brian from an allegation of sexual assault. In such a small and interconnected town, Aileen’s kneejerk decision to cover for her son causes citizens to choose sides as the accuser is simultaneously supported and ostracized by those who knew her best.

Directed by Saela Davis and Anna Rose Holmer, God’s Creatures strength is also its weakness. The decision to keep the focus of the story tight on Aileeen and her crumbling relationship with Brian makes for outstanding character work and opportunities for Emily Watson to showcase her talents, but it also hinders the overall impact that Alieen’s decision has on the town. Outside of a pair of scenes set early in the third act, the opportunity to break the story wide open and fully examine the ripple effects one lie can have on a community fall by the wayside.

God’s Creatures stars Emily Watson as Aileen O’Hara, the mother of the accused and the central focus point of the story. The film is Watson’s to carry, and the actress performs admirably, revealing that as much as the movie is a story about what happens with the town’s population, it’s just as much a tale of the slow dismantling of a mother’s faith in her son. Watson delivers the peaks and valleys of the joy of Aileen reconnecting with her son she hasn’t seen in years as well as the dismay at what that son has become. By film’s end, Watson’s full-blown transformation is a sight to behold.

Also starring Paul Mescal as Brian O’Hara, the film’s inciting character, Mescal is great at playing the sort of sleazebag that never fully realizes the pain he’s caused or the detriment he’s brought upon the community. It’s shown at the top of the film that Brian is returning to the town after some years away in Australia and while the question is raised more than once about what finally brought him back, Mescal is incredibly effective at dodging the question while also conveying that it’s likely Brian is fleeing the law or got caught up with the wrong crowd. Where Mescal shines the most is portraying Brian as a character content to float through life, depending on the charity of others, especially his mother, to get by.

With less screen time than the others, Aisling Franciosi plays Sarah Murphy, the most affected character in the film. While she’s one of the story’s lynchpins, it’s odd that Sarah disappears for swaths of time during the movie’s second and third act as the focus shifts to Aileen and her coming to grips with what she’s done. For the relatively small amount of time she’s on screen, Franciosi is wonderful as the inward-drawn Sarah, deeply affected by the film’s events. Her relegation to an almost third tier character is saved by a powerful third act monologue that Franciosi nails concerning the town, her place in it, and the necessity for a fresh start in life.

Directed by Saela Davis and Anna Rose Holmer, the duo managed to tell an intriguing tale in a short amount of time. There’s an efficiency to the filmmaking; no scene is wasted, and everything serves its purpose. Taking the first act to set up the closeness of these characters, the dynamics between them, and the dubious nature of Brian’s past sets the stage for the small scale stakes of the dismantling of the town’s camaraderie and the larger stakes of Aileen’s crumbling relationship with Brian.

Overall, God’s Creatures is a tough look at the lack of accountability in men’s predatory actions while also attempting to examine the fallout that results afterwards. Directors Davis and Hunter do an excellent job tackling the former while coming up short on the latter. Anchored by an award worthy performance by Emily Watson and further bolstered by a laissez-faire delivery from Paul Mescal, it’s the acting that carries the movie over the finish line. An excellent idea for a story that could’ve been mined further for both emotional impact and overall implications for the small village, the 94 minute drama unfortunately left a few stones unturned. God’s Creatures is currently available on VOD.

Review by Darryl Mansel