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As far as small-scale independent production companies go, A24 has certainly become the biggest. Every single year they have just been releasing hit after hit. A huge number of critically acclaimed modern classics have come from the indie giant, including The Lighthouse (2019), Uncut Gems (2019), Minari (2021), The Green Knight (2021), Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022), and many more.
In addition to the hugely successful Everything Everywhere All At Once, A24 has had a packed year, with other hits gracing the screens of 2022 including X, Men, Marcel the Shell With Shoes On, Bodies Bodies Bodies, and most recently, the X prequel Pearl. Also coming up for the indie darling is Darren Aronofsky's latest The Whale. There's also one project coming just around the corner that has already been the subject of some rave reviews.
That movie is God's Creatures, a tense drama centering on a fractured family based in rural Ireland. With the marketing for a wider release only just beginning, you may not have heard of God's Creatures just yet, but it's already made waves in the world of critics since its festival run began with a premiere at the Cannes Film Festival on May 19th, 2022. Currently, the film is sitting pretty at a more than healthy 95% on Rotten Tomatoes out of over twenty reviews, with the Irish Times calling it "A beautifully made, precisely acted masterclass in rural gothic".
With awards season just starting to ramp up, high praise like that could easily make God's Creatures an early contender for the filmmaking awards race. For more details on what is behind the critical acclaim, simply read below to find out everything we know so far about God's Creatures.
Watch the Trailer for God's Creatures:
The first (and probably only) main trailer for God's Creatures sets up the tone of the film pretty much perfectly, while also throwing in the impressive accolades the movie has already acquired. The trailer introduces the main character of Aileen O'Hara (Emily Watson), an Irish fisherman who is reunited with her son, Brian (Paul Mescal). What starts as a happy reunion between a mother and son quickly spirals into a carnival of chaos, as Brian is accused of a terrible crime and the town's residents suspect his guilt and accuse Aileen of aiding and abetting her son.
When and Where is God's Creatures Releasing?
God's Creatures will be making its wide release exclusively in theaters starting September 30th, 2022. No word yet on if and when God's Creatures will be available on streaming or VOD.
What is God's Creatures About?
Aileen O'Hara couldn't live a quieter life in her quant fishing town located within the grassy hills of Ireland. Life in this rural part of the Emerald Isle may be peaceful, but it can also get just a bit boring, and surprisingly busy as Aileen seems to be working multiple jobs. However, that all seems to change when Brian, her son, comes back home to visit his beloved mother. The mother and son spend their reunion exploring the countryside and making even the most mundane tasks just a bit more bearable.
The fun and games end rather quickly, as a knock at the door late at night leads Aileen to view her son in a completely new light. The source of the knock came from a police officer, who informs Aileen that a young woman has accused Brian of a very serious crime. What exactly that crime is hasn't yet been revealed, but whatever it is it's severe enough that it pits nearly the entire town against the O'Hara family. Things get even more complicated when Brian claims that he was at home with his mother all night, which Aileen knows is a lie. Despite this, she still protects her son and also claims Brian was with her at home that night, knowing full well the potential consequences this could have on her everyday life.
What started as a slice-of-life look into the relationship between mother and son turns into a tense crime drama, where Aileen probes as much as she can to find out if Brian actually did what he was accused of. This investigation will ultimately lead Aileen to make a hard decision. Will she follow her motherly instincts and continue to lie to protect her son, or will she betray those instincts and discover her son is not the innocent little child she once raised?
Who is Making God's Creatures?
Since the award-winning studio started making films, A24 has always prided itself as a company that gives a huge level of creative freedom to its wide variety of filmmakers. That's especially true when directors like Anna Rose Holmer are on board, who directed the award-winning The Fits (2015). She won't be directing alone, however, as she'll have Saela Davis, editor of The Fits, on board as her co-director, making this Davis's directorial debut.
Joining the directing pair are Enemy (2013) composers Danny Bensi and Saunder Jurrianns, Blonde (2022) cinematographer Chayse Irvin, Farewell Amor (2020) editor Jeanne Applegate as well as Bodies Bodies Bodies editor Julia Bloch, and The Lost Daughter (2021) production designer Inbal Weinberg.
Who is Starring in God's Creatures?
Leading the charge in the protagonist's role of Aileen O'Hara is BAFTA Award winner Emily Watson. The English-born actress has been a major player in the industry ever since the mid-nineties, having been nominated for two Academy Awards for Breaking the Waves (1996) and Hilary and Jackie (1998) as well as a nomination for a Primetime Emmy for her performance in Chernobyl (2019). Joining Watson in the supporting roles are Paul Mescal (Normal People) as Brian O'Hara and Aisling Franciosi (The Nightingale) as Sarah Murphy.
The rest of the supporting cast is rounded out by Declan Conlon (Cavalry) as Con O'Hara, Marion O'Dwyer (Ondine) as Mary Fitz, Toni O'Rourke (Calm with Horses) as Erin O'Sullivan, Brendan McCormack (Game of Thrones) as Francie D'Arcy, and Isabelle Connolly (Pale Saint) as Emma Daly.