Godless

TV review by Jenny Nixon, Common Sense Media
Godless Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 17+

So-so Western is well-acted but moves at a snail's pace.

Netflix Drama 2017
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Parents say

age 17+

Based on 4 reviews

Kids say

age 16+

Based on 4 reviews

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A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this TV show.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Godless is a bloody, often brutal Western series featuring scenes of disturbing violence and lots of dead bodies. There's gunplay galore, as well as scenes of violence against children (a young boy is shown hanging from a noose). There's some nudity and multiple depictions of rape. The language is harsh, and characters are shown smoking and drinking.

Community Reviews

nwrowe
nwrowe Adult
July 17, 2020
age 17+

Not a predictable Hollywood script.

The violence and rape make it, for me, only acceptable for adults. Common sense says it moves at a snails pace. That's only because in the last 20 years our society has been inundated with movies that have non-stop action and almost no story line or character development. This movie is rich in story and has well developed characters along with plenty of action. It also doesn't follow the typical Hollywood script, so there are plenty of surprises. A perfect balance.
ThePorgsHaveCome
ThePorgsHaveCome Adult
May 25, 2018
age 18+

I very much enjoyed this!

This is not “snail paced”, it’s perfectly paced in my opinion. Never is there a pointless time, or a time you wish would hurry up. Everything has a purpose. It’s no fluff, yet not lacking in character depth, or plot. I really liked this. I’ve seen many worse and more boring westerns than this. This is no way a “so so” western at a “snail pace”. :) It’s not rushed, it’s just on time. Good characters, good script, great locations, good directing, beautiful music, and nicely balanced action that doesn’t over do it with the notorious, neither does it downplay the dangerous. The good guys aren’t superhero’s, but neither are they a bunch of wimps that cannot fight. There are some brief moments of nudity, but nothing over the top. There is a little questionable and unconventional conduct, but this is the Wild West. I wanted a series I could settle down with and enjoy, and which wouldn’t take ages for things to progress, or go on for seasons resulting in the same things done over and over. I don’t think this is original, but it is done very well in my opinion. A good thing too, is there remains strength in the characters you’d look to. I really liked the good guys, and the bad guys were not overbearing, yet I still shouted “Yes!” When they got done.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
See all 4 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Set among the dusty vistas of 1880s New Mexico, GODLESS follows demented outlaw Frank Griffin (Jeff Daniels) on a bloodthirsty hunt for his former partner, Roy Goode (Jack O'Connell), who betrayed him during a train robbery gone wrong. Roy holes up at the ranch of the headstrong widow Alice Fletcher (Michelle Dockery), who harbors him in exchange for his horse-training skills. Frank's ruthless quest for retribution leads him to the strange town of La Belle, whose populace is made up almost entirely of women, due to a mining accident that killed most of their able-bodied males.

Is It Any Good?

The marketing for this show focused so much on the female-heavy cast -- the tagline is "Welcome to No Man's Land," even -- that one could be forgiven for assuming it would center on the women of La Belle, the mysterious town in the middle of it all. However, it's still very much a traditional Western, wherein macho outlaws and misunderstood gunslingers are given the limelight, while the female characters exist mainly to react to stuff. It's well-acted, to be sure -- Merritt Wever's no-nonsense, trouser-clad Mary Agnes is a notable standout -- but it would have been nice to see the women's stories move forward and take shape without the toxic masculinity we've already seen so many times before in this genre serving as their catalyst.

The pace is maddeningly slow, perhaps due to the fact that Godless was originally conceived as a movie but was stretched out into a seven-episode series once it was sold to Netflix. There's promise here, however, and the show may hopefully find its footing with a second season that focuses less on repetitive scenes of horse training and generic henchmen being threatening, and more on the backstory of La Belle and the dynamics between its inhabitants.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the way violence is used in Godless. Does it seem necessary to the story, or is it gratuitous?

  • Mining accidents like the one in Godless really did happen back in the day, and women would be forced to move on to another town, or stay and rebuild. What kind of challenges do you think a situation like this would present for women, especially given their limited rights during this time? Do you think Godless did a good job portraying the reality of such an ordeal?

TV Details

Our Editors Recommend

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    Vivid Old West drama is way too gritty for kids.

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