Capsule Review: Would you protect your son if he committed a horrible crime? That’s the premise of God’s Creatures, an undiscovered gem of a film that stars the ever-reliable Emily Watson as a blue collar worker who is put in the challenging decision of doing what’s right and doing what would protect her family. 

Watson is great, but the supporting cast is equally strong; the characters they play feel real. Grounded. Flawed. And too the world they live in feels real. Lived in. As complex as things really are. What would you do in her shoes?

Directors Saela Davis and Anna Rose Holmer, working from a screenplay by Shane Crowley, establish a convincing, absorbing atmosphere that slowly creeps into your soul. The movie isn’t perfect–what ultimately happens feels a bit like a cheat, even if the decision Watson’s character makes is profound–but God’s Creatures is a powerful little film deserving of more recognition than it has received.

Review by Erik Samdahl unless otherwise indicated.