Film & Television
John Maguire on film: Doom-laden exploration of guilt and shame fails to hit the mark
Paul Mescal features in God’s Creatures but he’s underused in a story set in rural Ireland that explores the theme of a protective mother that has been done before, and better
American directing team Saela Davis and Anna Rose Holmer bring an outsider’s perspective to the rural Irish gothic in God’s Creatures, co-written by first-time feature screenwriter Shane Crowley and producer Fodhla Cronin O'Reilly.
It concerns a middle-aged woman (the dependably excellent Emily Watson) who offers a fateful alibi to her son (an underused Paul Mescal) when he’s accused of sexual assault after returning to his home-town following a stint in Australia. Despite a fine ensemble ...