This is an unpredictable, majestic visual feast, sparse with dialogue and rife with superb performances, and Higgins’ sophomore feature is a strong contender for best American film of the year.

| Original Score: 3.5/4 | Aug 16, 2023

The slow-moving God's Country has a very predictable ending. However, this drama about an escalating feud gets a tremendous boost from Thandiwe Newton's riveting performance, as well as how director Julian Higgins builds tension in the movie.

| Mar 25, 2023

Society has been pushed into the gray areas to acknowledge that innocuous events can spiral out of control and that incendiary ones demand a response. Newton delivers a character who can no longer avoid accepting that these truths are universal.

| Original Score: 9/10 | Dec 9, 2022

Newton is damn good in this, but I feel like it’s trying to be too many movies at once. You can tell there are sparks of something more focused starting to come together, but the script keeps bobbing and weaving around too many plot threads.

| Nov 30, 2022

One-sided red vs. blue state thriller goes haywire in feverish third act.

| Original Score: 2/4 | Nov 14, 2022

God’s Country is a grief drama that winds its way into a revenge thriller with some home invasion tricks and breathtaking landscape backdrops. It beckons us to think/act without sacrificing subtlety or creativity, perhaps be the best thing a film can do.

| Original Score: 9/10 | Oct 26, 2022

God’s Country is not a fun watch. It will probably ruin your day honestly. But if you find yourself in the mood for a hard-hitting, straight-up good movie that will stick with you, you know where to go.

| Oct 7, 2022

While the script droops when it tries to spell out its themes, the movie shows enough ambition and originality to keep viewers hooked. This is a film you'll want to see in a group and discuss afterward.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Oct 6, 2022

Thandiwe Newton [is] superb as Sandra.

| Oct 6, 2022

as much as God’s Country is about conflict and our almost fatalistic collision course with each other, Higgins offers small glimpses of the possibility of connection

| Original Score: 3.5/4 | Oct 2, 2022

This diverting yet overly ambitious thriller hands the too often overlooked Thandiwe Newton a well-deserved and long overdue meaty leading role.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Sep 30, 2022

A dark, timely and endlessly fascinating mood piece. Thandiwe Newton is perfection in a deep-dive character study that explores several interesting triangular conflicts.

| Original Score: 3.5/4 | Sep 29, 2022

With a large part of the success coming from Newton’s exemplary performance, there is so much that individuals can learn from this film.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Sep 29, 2022

Julian Higgins’ debut is promising, and there’s certainly room for growth. He’s got potential as an up-and-coming filmmaker.

| Sep 23, 2022

Racism, sexism, abuse, mental illness, duplicitous authorities and neighbors, and the natural end of out-of-control situations frame this quiet, gutsy portrait of a brave woman. Thandiwe Newton’s phenomenal control is reason alone to catch God’s Country.

| Original Score: 4/4 | Sep 23, 2022

This is a cautionary tale about a society where some people do not respect others, but at the same time insist on privileges and respect as a birthright. That is the root of this drama. It is also the root of forces that are tearing this country apart.

| Original Score: B | Sep 23, 2022

Julian Higgans' riveting thriller is a character-driven film that features a solid cast led by Thandiwe Newton’s powerhouse performance. The finale lingers long after viewing.

| Original Score: 3.5/4 | Sep 22, 2022

Seeing Thandiwe Newton stand her ground and command the central narrative of a snowy neo-western is the best reason to watch, and a reminder that she’s allowed to be wherever she wants to be.

| Sep 22, 2022

Thandiwe Newton’s controlled performance keeps you glued to the screen to see who will win this territorial battle, which takes most of the film. Patience, there is a surprising payoff.

| Sep 21, 2022

The main issue is whether viewers can stick with God's Country long enough for the story to finally kick in. But if you do, the film provides a pay-off that, in a way, makes the wait worth it.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Sep 20, 2022