Film Review – God’s Country

“God’s Country” takes some getting used to, as it wants to be many different films over the course of its run time. Co-writer/director Julian Higgins uses the comfort of a revenge movie to lure in viewers, teasing them with classic Charles Bronson/Clint Eastwood elements of intimidation, almost crafting a neo-western in many ways. It’s compelling, watching as the main character deals with an escalating situation of intimidation featuring two unhinged antagonists. Suddenly, all that work is set aside as Higgins explores a few different tales of confrontations and frustrations, sniffing around for additional themes useful in the pursuit of characterization. “God’s Country” loses focus soon enough, and Higgins is in no mood to maintain a steady pace to the endeavor, almost intentionally pushing away his audience after a set-up that connects as intended. There are some creative choices made here that are difficult to appreciate, but lead Thandiwe Newton works uphill to make her moments count, giving a deeply felt performance in a picture that wavers between searing and slack one too many times. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com