Common Sense Media Review
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Gore, violence against women in nihilistic crime drama.
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Why Age 17+?
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God Is a Bullet
What's the Story?
In GOD IS A BULLET, small town, God-fearing police officer Bob Hightower's (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) life is turned upside down when his ex-wife is murdered and his teen daughter, Gabi (Chloe Guy), is abducted by a satanic cult. The only lead he has is Case Hardin (Maika Monroe), who was abducted by the cult herself but managed to escape. She agrees to help but insists that the only way it can work is if they go undercover. They meet The Ferryman (Jamie Foxx), who whips up fake IDs and covers Bob in tattoos. But no matter how determined Bob is, nothing can prepare him for the insane viciousness of cult leader Cyrus (Karl Glusman).
Is It Any Good?
This nihilistic, merciless crime drama takes a painful 155 minutes to tell viewers that there's no hope in the world while showing women being repeatedly punched and people's faces getting shot off. From Nick Cassavetes (the director of The Notebook), God Is a Bullet is based on a novel by Boston Teran, but the movie is so utterly depressing, artless, and pointless that it's hard to imagine what it was ever supposed to be about. The repeated violence aimed at women and young girls is off the charts, and no amount of retribution can make up for it.
The main theme seems to be destroying Bob's small-town Christian values, making it known to him that religion is nothing more than a "club" or a drug, i.e. "needles waiting for people like us to stick it in." (When Bob's adventure is over, we see him dejectedly gulping a beer and dragging furiously at a cigarette.) The movie's absurdly long, oppressive running time is another huge flaw, and Cassavetes fails to use it to enrich his themes or deepen his characters. Even the loathsome Cyrus isn't expanded past the one-dimensional psychopath he initially seems to be. The final, tacked-on moment is about as phony as an ending can get, making God Is a Bullet a thoroughly dispiriting experience.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about God Is a Bullet's violence. How did it make you feel? Was it exciting? Shocking? What did the movie show or not show to achieve this effect? Why is that important?
What would you say is the theme of the movie? Why is God like a bullet? Is the movie anti-faith? Why, or why not?
How does Bob change over the course of his journey?
Case compares the satanic cult to Bob's church, saying that they're both "clubs" and are equally bigoted. Do you agree? Why, or why not?
How are drinking, smoking, and drug use portrayed? Are they glamorized? Are there consequences? Why does that matter?
Movie Details
- In theaters : June 23, 2023
- On DVD or streaming : July 11, 2023
- Cast : Nikolaj Coster-Waldau , Maika Monroe , Jamie Foxx
- Director : Nick Cassavetes
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s) , Black Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Wayward Entertainment
- Genre : Thriller
- Topics : Book Characters
- Run time : 155 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
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