God is a Bullet, 2023.
Written and Directed by Nick Cassavetes.
Starring Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Maika Monroe, Jamie Foxx, January Jones, Ethan Suplee, Karl Glusman, Paul Johansson, Brendan Sexton III, Jonathan Tucker, David Thornton, Garrett Wareing, Tonya Cornelisse, Robert Craighead, Nancy De Mayo, Samantha Lockwood, Kola Olasiji, Xavier Declie, Virginia Cassavetes, Nico Galán, Chloe Guy, Danny Minnick, Jennifer Marks, Lindsay Hanzl, Georgia Clark, and Isabel Benet.
SYNOPSIS:
Based on true events and the novel of the same name. Vice detective Bob Hightower finds his ex-wife murdered and daughter kidnapped by a cult. Frustrated by the botched official investigations, he quits the force and infiltrates the cult to hunt down the leader with the help of the cult’s only female victim escapee, Case Hardin.
Inspired by true events, writer/director Nick Cassavetes (adapting the book by Boston Teran) finds an intriguing central dynamic in God is a Bullet, which focuses on a Christian detective quitting the force in the wake of finding his ex-wife and her boyfriend murdered in their home and his teenage daughter missing, to infiltrate a satanic cult (with its members practically covered head to toe in tattoos) that took her with the help of a troubled woman that was once kidnapped as a child, raped, prostituted, and brainwashed into eventually serving as the crazed leader’s romantic partner despite him not giving a damn about her, who went on to escape. He wants his daughter back; she has PTSD and wants to make sure her horrific experience never again happens to anyone, with a dash of revenge.
There are lessons in judgment and perceptions of others to learn, as Bob Hightower (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) and Case (often referred to as “Head-Case” due to the mental instability from the years of having every type of abuse imaginable inflicted on her, and played here by Maika Monroe) force themselves to get on the same page for the greater good. Bob believes that none of this would have ever happened to Case if she had been surrounded by a loving family, which doesn’t appear to be true since her mother was in terrified shellshock upon noticing that her daughter had been placed into a van and kidnapped. There are also some skeletons in Bob’s extended family and the police force, adding to his false view of the world and belief that everything will be okay as long as he follows God. Unsurprisingly, after everything Case has endured in life, she has no concerns with heaven or hell, expressing that God is a bullet.
Running over two and a half hours, it’s frustrating that God is a Bullet slows up on the characterization and struggles to portray the cult without distinction. Depicting the cult mostly comes down to endless screaming and shouting from leader Cyrus (Karl Glusman) and watching a variety of inked freaks also make noise and threaten violence. In one scene, the protagonists come across a disturbing room where many atrocities are committed against the kidnapped children; otherwise, there’s not much noteworthy about them.
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau and Maika Monroe ground their characters into something human and believable, even when Nick Cassavetes wades further and further into full-blown action territory. The film even stops for Case to acknowledge and apologize to Bob that he had no choice but to kill someone to protect her. Unfortunately, there is also an unnecessary edgy streak running through some of the film’s violence, such as the initial kidnapping of Bob’s daughter, where his ex-wife is raped and brutally murdered during Christmas time and set to holiday music. Then there is the middle hour, where the story goes in a circle without much happening dramatically beyond the protagonist’s bonding, which becomes less interesting as the movie continues.
Still, once God is a Bullet embraces its pulpy action elements, the proceedings are much more involving. It helps that the violence is memorably brutal, whether it’s Cyrus shooting one of his henchmen repeatedly in the head to silence everyone and regain everyone’s attention. Or Bob’s daughter, telling her father to “kill them all.” Flamethrowers, explosions, visceral combat involving melee weapons, and over-the-top reactions to bullets excite for a thrilling finale. The action is far stronger than the character work, although the performances are intense (Maika Monroe is fearless, understandably nutty, always angry, and headstrong), maintaining investment. God is a Bullet is a certified overlong, overstuffed kitchen sink filmmaking that happens to be satisfying despite that excess.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★
Robert Kojder is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association and the Critics Choice Association. He is also the Flickering Myth Reviews Editor. Check here for new reviews, follow my Twitter or Letterboxd, or email me at MetalGearSolid719@gmail.com
