Saela Davis and Anna Rose Holmer (director)
Glasgow Film Festival 2023 (studio)
15 (certificate)
101 (length)
02 March 2023 (released)
05 March 2023
Set in a bleak Irish fishing village where the only industry are fish and oysters and with the work clearly delineated – women processing in the factory while the men go out to the oyster nets, dealing with dangerous tides. So dangerous that early on a man is drowned, learning later on that custom forbids them from learning to swim.
It’s into this that Brian O’Hara (Paul Mescal) returns from Australia. Warmly welcomed by his mother Aileen (Emily Watson) and sister Erin (Toni O’Rourke), not so much by his father Con (Declan Conlon) he sets about re-establishing the family’s oyster netting business that was left by grandfather Paddy (Lalor Roddy) now totally disabled by his dementia.
It’s unsettled from the start with Brian’s heart not being in the business, linking up with shady characters – that only inflames his relationship with his father that comes to a logical end later on. Meanwhile Aileen against her, family and colleagues’ better judgement and advice continues to support him. Even to the extent of destroying her reputation when called upon to provide an alibi for Brian after an incident.
Directors Saela Davis and Anna Rose Holmer, with writers Fodhla Cronin O’Reilly and Shane Crowley have conjured up very bleak story of misogyny, deceit and self-destruction from which there is no respite for the viewer. Even the spectacular coastal photography is grim, there’s no beauty here.
As such other than the superb acting this story of guilt and remorse laced with misplaced love that is viciously abused is a little shaky, and unengaging and to a certain point predictable.
Digging deeper there’s a profound misery about the place that is understandable with there being limited opportunities for the more ambitious inhabitants. Then there is the precariousness of the businesses and work. The fishery has to close for period due to fungus in the oysters with all the problems that causes. Those elements actually strike a louder chord in the film than any of the personal issues.
God’s Creatures was presented at the Glasgow Film Festival and will be released in UK cinemas on 31 March 2023.
