Parents' Guide to God's Country

This intense story is a slow-burn drama in every sense of the word. The main issue is whether viewers can stick with God's Country long enough for the story to finally kick in. But if you do, the film provides a payoff that, in a way, makes the wait worth it.

Thanks to scriptwriting by Shaye Ogbonna, God's Country delicately tackles systemic racism and the sexism brought to bear through Sandra's experiences. Newton usually picks films that have meaningful things to say about societal ills, and continues that pattern here. And, also as usual, she gives a nuanced performance, expertly playing a woman on the edge who's barely holding herself together. That said, the film demands a lot of patience from viewers, even with Newton's stellar performance, especially since an element central to the plot isn't really explained at all, but rather left to viewers to figure out what it means. Still, God's Country is another brooding performance Newton can add to her amazing resume.