GOD'S COUNTRY -- A Disturbing Story About a Part of Our Country We Still Can't Get Past

Review by Dan Skip Allen

Thandiwe Newton as “Sandra Guidry” in Julian Higgins’ GOD’S COUNTRY. Courtesy of GC Film, LLC. An IFC Films release.

There haven't been a lot of films or television shows about the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, but that doesn't mean there haven't been people trying to make them or writing about the biggest natural disaster in American history. Based on James Lee Burke's short story Winter Light, God's Country is a story of a woman following the life she left behind after Hurricane Katrina starring Thandiwe Newton. 

Sandra (Thandiwe Newton) is a woman who has gone through her mother's death, but she tries to move forward with her life as a Professor. When she sees two hunters trespassing on her land, she confronts them. This causes a battle of wills where things don't go very well for her. She gets the local authorities (Jeremy Bobb) involved, but it does no good. No matter what course of action she takes, it doesn't work. She's a woman on the outside of a place that doesn't accept her.
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Newton gives a nuanced and reserved performance for most of the film, considering what she is going through with this community. She is ostracized in it, and that causes her to be unnerved and make rash decisions she wouldn't have otherwise made in her previous life as a beat cop in New Orleans. Her instincts have left her wanting. As a policeman, you are taught to be aware of your surroundings and the people. She has forgotten this because of the strange community she now finds herself in. She doesn't have any real help, no matter who she turns to.

Joris Jarsky as “Nathan” and Thandiwe Newton as “Sandra Guidry” in Julian Higgins’ GOD’S COUNTRY.

This film shows a side of America we don't want people to see: a shameful, ugly side where our citizen's biases and prejudices are out front and in your face. The filmmaker, Julian Higgins, isn't afraid to give the viewers a look at the stark reality of how a huge portion of this country thinks. They feel they should be able to do and go where they want, and nobody should say anything about it, even if they are trespassing on someone's property. The fact remains that we haven't changed much as a society.

The film takes place in a northwestern area of the country, which is pretty cold and snowy. These conditions play into the attitude of the characters Newton has to deal with. This is like a perfect dichotomy with her life back east. She was a valued member of the community there, and here she gets the cold shoulder in more ways than one. This area is a perfect place for a story like this to be set in. Many of these types of people are set in their ways in these remote mountainous areas. 

God's Country shows a look at the American West we, as a people, should be ashamed of. That's just one area in our country that has prejudices about certain races. Newton, not usually known for these small character studies, gives a very good performance as this woman caught in an unlikely situation that escalates out of control. Higgins sets the film in an area of the country that perfectly plays into the story and the characters. This isn't an easy watch, but it's worth it if you give it a chance.

God's Country is now playing in theaters.

Rating: 3/5