God's Country
IFC Films | Release Date: September 16, 2022 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
77
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 15 Critic Reviews
Positive:
15
Mixed:
0
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
100
RogerEbert.comIsaac Feldberg Sep 16, 2022
At every turn magnifying the dramatic power of this story is Newton, an actress of exceptional grit and grace who’s capable of communicating more emotion in a single, simmering look than many pages of dialogue could exposit. Read full review
91
The A.V. ClubJack SmartSep 13, 2022
A lyrical character study inside a quasi-Western thriller, God’s Country features a never-better Thandiwe Newton embodying that ethical struggle to haunting, unsettling effect. Read full review
83
IndieWireChristian ZilkoJan 26, 2022
Julian Higgins’ excellent film constantly dangles redemption in front of our faces, begging us to imagine a better world, but ultimately delivers a stark reminder of how bitterly divided the country is. Read full review
80
Los Angeles TimesRobert DanielsSep 17, 2022
God’s Country is a film that wants to disarm you at every turn, and it often succeeds with a transfixing, acute spirit of retribution against society’s toxic racial and gender power dynamics. Read full review
80
We Got This CoveredMartin CarrFeb 7, 2022
As people have been forced to spend extended periods away from loved ones, often in less-than-ideal circumstances, God’s Country is certain to hit home hard. Read full review
80
The Hollywood ReporterLovia GyarkyeJan 26, 2022
Although astute viewers may easily predict God’s Country’s final moments, the journey there is still a wild and satisfying one. Read full review
80
TheWrapRonda Racha PenriceJan 26, 2022
Much about God’s Country is provocative, raising critical questions about boundaries, environmental stewardship, community, inclusion, grief and more. It is, however, a slow burn, requiring patience and attention. Read full review
80
VarietyDennis HarveyJan 26, 2022
Julian Higgins’ first feature can be taken as a drama with thriller elements or a low-key thriller with atypical dramatic nuance, working either way as a quietly effective balance between genre, social issue and character study elements. Read full review
78
Austin ChronicleRichard WhittakerSep 19, 2022
In adapting James Lee Burke's short story, "Winter Light," Higgins and cowriter Shaye Ogbonna (The Chi, Lowlife) have taken the barest of its bones and grown fresh meat. Read full review
75
The Film StageJake Kring-SchreifelsJan 28, 2022
Newton’s dynamic performance keeps you hooked. Read full review
75
The PlaylistAndrew BundyJan 26, 2022
Deserted by a workplace and landscape whose wintry indignation is reciprocated in kind, Newton carries the film with intrepid resolve, turning in an amenable performance that’s inflamed in its downcast nature, while earning wholly justified sympathy. Read full review
70
The New York TimesManohla DargisSep 15, 2022
The movie works best when it doesn’t over-explain and instead lets the land and the characters, the wide open spaces and the performances — especially Newton’s meticulously controlled turn — speak for themselves. Read full review
70
Screen DailyFionnuala HalliganJan 26, 2022
Newton is fascinating in the role. Read full review
70
SlashfilmJan 26, 2022
God's Country" is a headier exploration of how impossible it can feel when trying to enact change in institutions, and how, when systems are rigged against the same people they're ostensibly set up to support, the empty hopelessness of that realization can lead to devastating outcomes. Read full review
63
Movie NationRoger MooreSep 17, 2022
In the end, what God’s Country is wrestling with is too big for the movie or the filmmakers’ ambitions. Read full review
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