How far would you go for the ones you love? Would you lie for them to others? Would you lie to yourself? These are the kind of questions pondered in the official trailer for A24's latest existential crisis of a feature appropriately titled God's Creatures. In it, the always understated talent Emily Watson plays a mother in a small town who is surprised and at first overjoyed to see her son Brian (Paul Mescal) return after being gone many years. The character Brian is immediately presented in the trailer as one of inner and social turmoil but it is Watson's reaction to him that makes the film as a whole intriguing to watch, especially given the many years we have ourselves observed popular celebrities face horrendous accusations that shatter their idealistic image to audiences.
Perhaps what makes God's Creatures appear so relevant is the way it seems it will explore the lengths loved ones of the accused will go to protect them. Even as evidence piles on against people, we see spouses, children, and more willing to stare at civilization itself and defend their names. Here, Watson's character must question her own sense of right and wrong as a young woman (Aisling Franciosi) makes accusations against her son. So if there is anything God's Creatures seems to offer, again just going off the trailer, is how lies and love can become a corroded mess, almost a facsimile to blood in water. Check it out below:
God's Creatures is directed by Saela Davis & Anna Rose Holmer with a script written by Shane Crowley. It is set to have a limited release in the US on September 30th.