God’s Country Review
God’s Country (2022)
Directed by: Julian Higgins
Deep in the desolate mountains of Montana, college professor Sandra must go head to head with two hunters who repeatedly trespass on her property. As this thriller progresses, Sandra’s pleas to the hunters to respect her space escalates to a raw, vicious, and compelling showdown that worsens by the day.
God’s Country is an impressive debut feature from Julian Higgins. Higgins and cinematographer Andrew Wheeler take advantage of the sweeping landscape through remarkable extreme long shots that highlight one of the most prominent themes of the film: how small we are. God’s Country showcases the cyclical patterns in both nature and mankind, and attempts to leave you pondering the question, will society ever see these cycles of violence, territoriality, and self-preservation end?
Based on the short story “Winter Light” by James Lee Burke, writers Higgins and Shaye Ogbonna switch the protagonist from a retired, white older man to a Black, middle-aged woman. This is a much-needed decision - by switching the protagonist to a Black woman, Ogbonna and Higgins allowed for a new narrative to be shown on screen.
This haunting slow burn sometimes elicits more questions than answers. In a Q&A at Coolidge Corner Theater in Brookline, Massachusetts, Higgins shares that these existential answers are not in the film; rather, he wants to prompt viewers to think about them. If viewers want to know more about the characters, their stories are all there; seeped into tiny glimpses of family life, living conditions, and careers. It’s Thandiwe Newton and Joris Jarsky’s performances that elevate the underlying tension and anxieties that simmer under the surface. Higgins duals out bits and pieces of the characters' lives, but it's through mannerisms and body language that gives away what we truly need to know - which is that these characters exist in an ungoverned world where you must be prepared to go to bat for what you want. This movie has the power to spark reflection and thought while simultaneously being an exciting thriller. Viewers can expect to end this movie with a dropped jaw.
