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 ✨

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

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.

I didn't find it boring nor particularly engaging, but I was left with a feeling that at the very end of the picture they all suddenly decided to give up. Especially the screenwriter.

5.0/10 — "Poor"/"Inferior"/"Amateurish"

What a dreary film. I really like Emily Watson and she was the only good thing about this. Paul Mescal's accent was out of touch with the other actors and they were not consistent either. Disappointing as an Irish person watching an Irish made film with Irish actors. Pretty easy to get the basics right, but they didn't.

Overblown and melodramatic. The score is more suitable for a horror movie. The storyline is good, but the power of it is hindered by the production.

The story washes over you just like the waves in this fishing and oyster-bed community, as do the effects of one person's actions on a seemingly tight-knit community. Atmospherically shot, the scenery as stark and impressive as the acting. Much of the dialogue was lost on me, delivered as it was in hushed-tones and noisy bars and to the sound of waves and thunder - i was grateful for the use of subtitles for the Gaelic and could have used them throughout the film - i might then have picked up on more of the nuance hinted at in the film's subtleties.

Pay attention to God's Creatures, 'cause you'll miss the whole pack of lies as they slowly slog by.

Powerful. Hang on. It's sneaking up on you then bites you in the face

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 a real film, an 'acting' film full of great performances. SYNOPSIS: 'A mother tells a lie for her beloved son that rips apart their family and close-knit Irish town -- ultimately testing her own sense of right and wrong.' If there's such a genre as a 'quiet thriller' then this film is it. In a film which looks stunning, however dark the rugged Irish landscape might be, this tells a story of a small community stuck in patriarchal ways from a long gone past. Emily Watson in particular excels and gives an emotionally stirring performance as a conflicted mother who in the end pays back in the most harrowing way. Possible Oscar contender? Maybe. 7/10

This isn't leprechauns and Blarney stones. This is a grey, overcast Ireland where people constantly smoke and drink whiskey to take the edge off their lives and the whole village smells like the fish factory. A bleak, plodding movie that has great performances, not for the faint of heart or those wanting a fairytale ending.

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.

God's Creatures invites you to Aileen's deep questioning inside her. She knows the truth but can't accept it because of the family bond. Day by day, she starts drowning in her mind, and we are witnessing this suffocating process.

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

GREAT acting by Watson. Dark, atmospheric, and moody. But, the ending, lack of resolution, and lack of actual information for the audience, was extremely frustrating. Clearly, that frustration was intended so that the audience "feels" like what Aileen feels and many others involved. But I don't think this approach works for the audience. I needed and wanted more definitive information about the two major events in the story line.

God´s Creatures might want to be raw with its family drama, but reaches very little convincing emotions out of its predictable set-up and way too many silent scenes that felt like cheap drama from its actors.