God’s Own Country (2017)
93%RT Audience Score: 87%
Awards & Nominations: Nominated for 1 BAFTA Award
32 wins & 40 nominations total
A quiet, moving rumination on loneliness and newfound intimacy, God’s Own Country marks an outstanding directorial debut for Francis Lee.
God’s Own Country is a film that will make you want to move to the countryside, even if it means getting dung-splattered boots. The electrifying feature debut by writer-director Francis Lee is a universal tale about giving yourself over to love, even when you seem hopelessly broken. The performances by Josh O’Connor and Alec Secareanu are aching and real, making their romance feel authentic. This is not just a movie about coming out, but a story about the challenges of living and loving. It’s a beautifully poignant slow burn that will leave you wanting more. Highly recommended!
Production Company(ies)
Universal Pictures, Amblin Entertainment,
Distributor
Orion Pictures, Samuel Goldwyn Films
Release Type
Streaming, Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
Filming Location(s)
Laycock, Keighley, Bradford, West Yorkshire, England, UK
MPAA / Certificate
Not Rated
Year of Release
2017
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby
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Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
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Runtime:1h 44m
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Language(s):English, Romanian, Bulgarian
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Country of origin:United Kingdom
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Oct 25, 2017 Limited
Release Date (Streaming): May 8, 2018
Genre(s)
Drama/Romance
Keyword(s)
God’s Own Country, drama, romance, LGBTQ+, 2017, 1h 44m, directed by Francis Lee, written by Francis Lee, produced by Manon Ardisson and Jack Tarling, starring Josh O’Connor as Johnny Saxby, Alec Secareanu as Gheorghe Ionescu, Gemma Jones as Deidre Saxby, Ian Hart as Martin Saxby, Patsy Ferran as Robyn, Melanie Kilburn as Gloria, box office gross USA $281.5K, Tomatometer 98%, audience score 87%, reviewed by J.R Jones, Richard Whittaker, Cary Darling, Isaac Feldberg, Michael O’Sullivan, David Lewis, Ben Turner, Olly Richards, Stefan Pape, Dennis Harvey, Stephen A Russell, Amanda Jane Stern, drama about a young farmer numbing his frustrations with drinking and casual sex until a Romanian migrant worker sets him on a new path, Orion Pictures, Samuel Goldwyn Films, flat aspect ratio (1.85:1), rent/buy from $2.99, subscription
Worldwide gross: $2,559,939
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $3,087,891
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,310
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 336,738
US/Canada gross: $335,609
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $404,824
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,381
US/Canada opening weekend: $17,768
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $21,432
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,493
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Alec Secareanu – Gheorghe Ionescu
Gemma Jones – Deidre Saxby
Ian Hart – Martin Saxby
Patsy Ferran – Robyn
Melanie Kilburn – Gloria
Director(s)
Francis Lee
Writer(s)
Francis Lee
Producer(s)
Manon Ardisson, Jack Tarling
Film Festivals
Sundance, Berlin
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 1 BAFTA Award
32 wins & 40 nominations total
Academy Awards
All Critics (130) | Top Critics (37) | Fresh (127) | Rotten (3)
Writer-director Francis Lee creates a more credible rural milieu, anchored in the grubby details of raising livestock and the furious emotional repression of his male characters.
April 17, 2020
J. R. Jones
Chicago Reader
TOP CRITIC
Earnest, honest, accurate, and unrelenting, this is the true romance of the countryside, dung-splattered boots and all.
December 28, 2017 | Rating: 3.5/5
Richard Whittaker
Austin Chronicle
TOP CRITIC
Director/writer Francis Lee’s electrifying feature debut is a working-class, fun-house mirror version of “Call Me By Your Name’s” upper-class pretensions and is equally, if not more, rewarding because of it.
November 30, 2017 | Rating: 4.5/5
Cary Darling
Houston Chronicle
TOP CRITIC
But O’Connor and Secareanu give such aching performances that their romance feels real.
November 15, 2017 | Rating: 3.5/4
Isaac Feldberg
Boston Globe
TOP CRITIC
The film by writer-director Francis Lee, who grew up on a Yorkshire farm before turning to acting – and, later, filmmaking – is sweet, even if Johnny is not.
November 9, 2017 | Rating: 2.5/4
Michael O’Sullivan
Washington Post
TOP CRITIC
This is not a movie about coming out and the collateral damage that ensues. It’s a universal tale about giving yourself over to love, even when you seem hopelessly broken.
November 9, 2017 | Rating: 4/4
David Lewis
San Francisco Chronicle
TOP CRITIC
As LGBT+ films go, this is the cream of the crop. And as British films go, this is undoubtedly one of the strongest of the year.
September 2, 2021 | Rating: 5/5
Ben Turner
The Pink Lens
Lee steers away from obvious story beats we think are coming and never allows himself an easy emotion. In his world, living is hard and loving is harder, but, says this wonderful film, the challenge is worth facing.
April 23, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
Olly Richards
NME
Tender romantic drama has graphic sex, drinking, language.
December 2, 2020 | Rating: 5/5
Stefan Pape
Common Sense Media
God’s Own Country [is] the celluloid gay love story of the year.
October 19, 2020
Dennis Harvey
48 Hills
One of the finest films about love in many years, hot on the heels of Oscar-winning Moonlight, God’s Own Country feels like the film we need right now in the midst of Australia’s marriage equality debate.
August 19, 2020 | Rating: 5/5
Stephen A. Russell
The New Daily (Australia)
This movie is a beautifully poignant slow burn with a stellar cast. I highly recommend you watch God’s Own Country.
May 19, 2020
Amanda Jane Stern
Film Inquiry…
Plot
A young farmer numbs his frustrations with drinking and casual sex until a Romanian migrant worker sets him on a new path in God’s Own Country.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
The film God’s Own Country features a stellar cast, including Josh O’Connor, Alec Secareanu, Gemma Jones, Ian Hart, and Patsy Ferran.
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