God’s Creatures steals the spotlight at Glasgow Film Festival
By Jenna Morrison
Female-directed, God’s Creatures (2022) made its UK debut premiering in Glasgow’s favourite cinema on Thursday the 2nd of March, where Emily Watson introduced the unsettling drama insisting that the film would spark conversations as soon as the credits rolled. With that, a theatre full of excited film lovers quickly fell silent as God’s Creatures had each one of us roped into it.
Rising star Paul Mescal plays Brian – which may be his least pleasant character to date - the beloved son of Emily Watson’s character, Aileen. Brian returns to his small Irish hometown after spending time in Australia. His arrival soon proves to be for the worst when he commits a horrific act, testing morals and tearing apart relationships within the town.
Watson lies to the police instinctively, to protect her son from the consequences of his crime and rides a journey of guilt and wrongfulness as she understands the severity of her actions. The film explores the harrowing theme of sexual assault and how a rapist is protected, whilst the victim is failed by the injustices of the system.
Davis and Holmer deliver the dark tragedy with incredible attention to mise en scene, from the symbolism of water and land to the dim representation of the unnamed town. When Mescal returns from Australia it is evident that his arrival is just as unexpected as his departure. Although Watson seems delighted to have her dear son back, the others are sceptical. The town is dreary from the beginning but the evilness that follows Mescal is indescribable.
Misfortunes happen as the tragedy unfolds. In the opening sequence, the town attends the funeral of a local fisherman who has drowned. The water remains a key piece of imagery shown repeatedly in shots throughout the film, as it drags in danger and swallows darkness.
Emily Watson, as always, delivers a noteworthy performance with her striking ability to capture emotion not only through dialogue – her expressive screen presence flawlessly becomes the centre of attention, every time. Her character represents morality and explores the blurred lines between right and wrong. This is achieved through amazing characterization; it is done so well that from the offset, you can feel her motherly instinct and warmth through the screen. When dealing with the conflict of the film, a character that at first seems uncomplicated becomes consumed by terror, showing layers of vulnerability. We too, as only an audience, feel uncomfortable in her decision making as though it's our own.
Aisling Franciosi plays Sarah, the victim of assault delivering yet another gripping performance depicting a woman who has been violated and wronged by a society that she’s trusted. Sarah’s life is shattered whilst Brian is allowed to walk freely. Her anger and sadness are shown merely by her absence on screen. She misses work and is abused by bar staff when showing at the local pub. A character who is valued at first for her beauty and kindness is shunned when her accusation is deemed as a lie.
Emily Watson’s presence at the premier was an amazing touch. Both she and Franciosi display powerful presentations of characters forced into relatable circumstances. Watson was right in saying that the film would make you think and feel, and many questions were asked afterwards at the viewing. The Glasgow film festival is always a pleasure, and just like God’s Creatures, this screening will not be one to forget.