God Is a Bullet (film)

Last updated

God Is a Bullet
God is a bullet.png
Film poster
Directed by Nick Cassavetes
Written byNick Cassavetes
Based on God Is a Bullet
by Boston Teran
Produced by
  • Michael Mendelsohn
  • Donald V. Allen
Starring
CinematographyKenji Katori
Edited byBella Erikson
Music by Aaron Zigman
Production
companies
Distributed byWayward Entertainment
Release date
  • June 23, 2023 (2023-06-23)
Running time
156 minutes [1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

God Is a Bullet is a 2023 American action thriller film written and directed by Nick Cassavetes and starring Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Maika Monroe, and Jamie Foxx. It is based on the 1999 novel of the same name by Boston Teran. [2] [3]

Contents

God Is a Bullet was released in the United States by Wayward Entertainment on June 23, 2023.

Plot

Detective Bob Hightower finds his ex-wife murdered and his teenage daughter kidnapped by an insidious satanic cult. Hightower takes matters into his own hands and infiltrates the secretive cult with the help of the cult's only female victim escapee, Case Hardin. Hightower and Hardin team up with The Ferryman, a shadowy "social renegade", to save Bob's daughter and to find closure for Hardin from the cult and its maniacal leader Cyrus. [4]

Cast

Production

Principal photography began in Mexico City in May 2021 and wrapped up in New Mexico in August 2021. [5] [6]

Sidney Kimmel served as an executive producer of the film, having previously worked with writer-director Cassavetes on Alpha Dog (2006). [7]

Release

God is a Bullet was released in the United States on June 23, 2023, before a releasing on digital formats on July 11. It was the first film to be theatrically released by Wayward Entertainment, who acquired the distribution rights in April 2023. [8]

Reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes , 24% of 37 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 4.3/10. [9] Metacritic , which uses a weighted average , assigned the film a score of 31 out of 100, based on nine critics, indicating "generally unfavorable" reviews. [10]

Robert Abele from the Los Angeles Times wrote, "The hack-noir of God Is a Bullet is one long slog". [11] Mary Beth McAndrews of Dread Central awarded the film one and a half stars out of five and wrote, "Cassavetes gets in his own way with a bloated attempt at exploitation that goes so far as to be more boring than interesting." [12] Whang Yee Ling of The Straits Times awarded the film two stars and wrote, "But no number of David Bowie and Bob Dylan on the soundtrack will make this exploitation picture the arty thriller Cassavetes seems to think it is." [13] Christian Zilko of IndieWire graded the film a C− and wrote, "A tighter edit that prioritized the rescue plot over meandering character development probably could have turned God Is a Bullet into a fun airplane movie, but Cassavetes’ arthouse ambitions always resurface at inopportune times." [14]

Robert Daniels of RogerEbert.com awarded the film one and a half stars and wrote, "If God is a bullet, it can’t come fast enough." [15] Keith Garlington of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette gave the film a negative review and wrote, "God Is a Bullet is hopelessly dark and dour -- a seemingly endless two hour 35 minute malaise of misery that eventually wears you down and even worse tests your patience." [16] Meagan Navarro of Bloody Disgusting awarded the film three "skulls" out of five and wrote, "The filmmaker’s staging and the natural charm and charisma of Coster-Waldau and Monroe, no matter how buried under grit and tattoos, offsets the otherwise familiar setup." [17] Dennis Harvey of Variety gave the film a negative review and wrote, "These 156 minutes, (...), are not exactly dull. But they are rather ludicrous, without being much fun." [18]

Richard Whitaker of The Austin Chronicle awarded the film three stars out of five and wrote, "But the resolute commitment to finding tiny sparks of hope in a pitch-black cosmos yields its own bitter and oddly warming reward." [19] Luke Y. Thompson of The A.V. Club graded the film a D+ and wrote, "Cut God Is A Bullet down to a tight 90 minutes, and it might at least consistently deliver the cheap thrills and nihilistic kick it only occasionally achieves." [20] Ross McIndoe of Slant Magazine awarded the film one and a half stars out of five and wrote, "Aside from the red stuff, the film is scarcely interested in what's inside its characters." [21] Frank Scheck of The Hollywood Reporter gave the film a negative review and wrote that it "Shoots itself in the foot." [22]

Jeannette Catsoulis of The New York Times gave the film a negative review and wrote, "But the misogyny of the movie’s risibly sadistic villains is only one distasteful thread in this sleazy saga of rescue and revenge." [23] Peter Martin of Screen Anarchy gave the film a positive review and wrote, "As Bob and Case, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau and Maika Monroe capture the personalities of characters who are often as scary to watch as anyone else on screen. Their shared intensity starts high and kicks quickly into overdrive, which animates the film past the breaking point." [24] Bob Strauss of the San Francisco Chronicle gave the film a negative review and wrote, "The result is a distasteful, overlong slog, but at least the filmmaker appears to have put everything he wanted to up on the screen." [25]

Related Research Articles

<i>John Q.</i> 2002 American thriller drama movie

John Q. is a 2002 American thriller drama film written by James Kearns and directed by Nick Cassavetes. It stars Denzel Washington as the title character, a man who is forced to take a hospital emergency room hostage in order for his son to receive a heart transplant. Robert Duvall, James Woods, Anne Heche, Kimberly Elise, and Ray Liotta appear in supporting roles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jamie Foxx</span> American actor (born 1967)

Eric Marlon Bishop, known professionally as Jamie Foxx, is an American actor, singer, and comedian. He gained his career breakthrough as a featured player in the sketch comedy show In Living Color until the show's end in 1994. Following this success, he was given his own sitcom The Jamie Foxx Show, in which he starred, co-created and produced from 1996 to 2001.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nikolaj Coster-Waldau</span> Danish actor (born 1970)

Nikolaj William Coster-Waldau is a Danish actor. He graduated from the Danish National School of Performing Arts in Copenhagen in 1993, and had his breakthrough role in Denmark with the film Nightwatch (1994). He played Jaime Lannister in the HBO fantasy drama series Game of Thrones, for which he received two Primetime Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series.

<i>Nightwatch</i> (1994 film) 1994 Danish film

Nightwatch is a 1994 Danish horror thriller film directed and written by Danish director Ole Bornedal. The film involves Martin who gets a student job as night watchman at the Forensic Medicine Institute. When making his rounds he finds he must go to where the deceased people are kept. At the same time, a series of murders occur among women in Copenhagen, while mysterious and unexplained things happen in the medical department.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Annabelle Wallis</span> British actress (born 1984)

Annabelle Frances Wallis is an English actress. She is known for her roles as Jane Seymour in Showtime's period drama The Tudors (2009–2010), Grace Burgess in the BBC drama Peaky Blinders (2013–2019), Mia Form in the supernatural horror film Annabelle (2014), Jenny Halsey in the supernatural adventure film The Mummy (2017), Rebecca Crosby in Tag (2018), Sandra in Silent Night (2021) and Madison Mitchell in the horror film Malignant (2021).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nukâka Coster-Waldau</span> Greenlandic actress

Nukâka Coster-Waldau, better known professionally as Nukâka, is a Greenlandic actress and beauty pageant titleholder who won Miss Greenland. She is married to Danish actor Nikolaj Coster-Waldau and has two daughters with him.

<i>The Other Woman</i> (2014 film) 2014 film by Nick Cassavetes

The Other Woman is a 2014 American romantic comedy film directed by Nick Cassavetes, written by Melissa K. Stack, and starring Cameron Diaz, Leslie Mann, Kate Upton, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Nicki Minaj, Taylor Kinney, and Don Johnson. The film follows three women—Carly (Diaz), Kate (Mann), and Amber (Upton)—who are all romantically involved with the same man (Coster-Waldau). After finding out about each other, the trio take their revenge on him.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maika Monroe</span> American actress (born 1993)

Maika Monroe is an American actress. She made her film debut with the drama At Any Price (2012), and led the thriller film The Guest and the horror film It Follows, which established her as a scream queen. She starred in the thrillers Greta (2018) and Watcher (2022) as well as the horror film Longlegs (2024).

<i>Exit Plan</i> (film) 2019 film by Jonas Alexander Arnby

Exit Plan, also titled Suicide Tourist, is a 2019 Danish-Norwegian-German mystery drama film directed by Jonas Alexander Arnby and starring Nikolaj Coster-Waldau. The film premiered at the 2019 Sitges Film Festival.

<i>Shot Caller</i> (film) 2017 film directed by Ric Roman Waugh

Shot Caller is a 2017 American crime thriller film written and directed by Ric Roman Waugh. The film chronicles the transformation of a well-to-do family man, played by Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, into a hardened prison gangster, which he undergoes to survive California's penal system after he is incarcerated for his role in a deadly DUI car accident. The film also stars Omari Hardwick, Lake Bell, Jon Bernthal, Emory Cohen, Jeffrey Donovan, Evan Jones, Benjamin Bratt, and Holt McCallany.

<i>Small Crimes</i> 2017 American film

Small Crimes is a 2017 American crime film directed by E. L. Katz from a screenplay by Katz and Macon Blair, based on the novel of the same name by Dave Zeltserman. The film stars Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as Joe Denton, a former cop recently released from prison for attempted murder. The film also stars Gary Cole, Molly Parker, Macon Blair, Pat Healy, Jacki Weaver, and Robert Forster. Small Crimes premiered at South by Southwest on March 11, 2017, and was released by Netflix on April 28, 2017.

<i>Spinning Man</i> 2018 American film

Spinning Man is a 2018 thriller film directed by Simon Kaijser based on a novel by George Harrar and adapted to screenplay by Matthew Aldrich. It stars Guy Pearce, Pierce Brosnan, Minnie Driver, Alexandra Shipp, Clark Gregg and Odeya Rush. The film was released on video on demand as well as experiencing limited release by Lionsgate Premiere on April 6, 2018.

<i>Tau</i> (film) 2018 American film

Tau is a 2018 American-Serbian-Czech-Canadian science fiction thriller film directed by Federico D'Alessandro from a screenplay by Noga Landau. It stars Maika Monroe, Ed Skrein, and Gary Oldman and was released on June 28, 2018, by Netflix, to generally negative reviews.

<i>The Silencing</i> 2020 American action-thriller film directed by Robin Pront

The Silencing is a 2020 action-thriller film directed by Robin Pront from a screenplay by Micah Ranum. It stars Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Annabelle Wallis, Hero Fiennes Tiffin, Zahn McClarnon and Melanie Scrofano. The film is about a hunter and a sheriff who track down a murderer who may have kidnapped the hunter's daughter years before.

<i>Against the Ice</i> 2022 film by Peter Flinth

Against the Ice is a 2022 historical survival film directed by Peter Flinth and written by Nikolaj Coster-Waldau and Joe Derrick, based on the true story recounted in Two Against the Ice by Ejnar Mikkelsen. It stars Coster-Waldau, Joe Cole, Charles Dance, and Heida Reed. The film was shot in Iceland and Greenland. Against the Ice premiered at the 72nd Berlin International Film Festival on February 15, 2022. It was released on Netflix on March 2, 2022, and received mixed reviews from critics.

<i>Watcher</i> (film) 2022 film by Chloe Okuno

Watcher is a 2022 psychological thriller film written and directed by Chloe Okuno in her feature directorial debut, based on an original screenplay by Zack Ford. The film stars Maika Monroe, Karl Glusman, and Burn Gorman.

<i>The Last Thing He Told Me</i> (TV series) 2023 thriller television series

The Last Thing He Told Me is an American thriller television series for Apple TV+, based on the novel of the same name by Laura Dave. The series was developed by Laura Dave and Josh Singer and stars Jennifer Garner as the main character Hannah Hall. It premiered on April 14, 2023. In March 2024, the series was renewed for a second season.

God Is a Bullet is a 1999 mystery novel by Boston Teran. The novel follows sheriff's deputy Bob Hightower whose ex-wife has been murdered and his teenage daughter kidnapped by a satanic cult. Hightower searches for his daughter with the help of Case Hardin, an escaped victim of the cult.

<i>Not Another Church Movie</i> 2024 parody film by Johnny Mack

Not Another Church Movie is a 2024 American parody film written and directed by Johnny Mack. It stars Kevin Daniels, Vivica A. Fox, Lamorne Morris, Tisha Campbell, Jasmine Guy, Lydia Styslinger, James Michael Cummings, Kyla Pratt, Mickey Rourke, and Jamie Foxx. It parodies the films of Tyler Perry.

King and Conqueror is an upcoming historical television drama series for BBC Studios and CBS from Michael Robert Johnson, starring James Norton as Harold of Wessex and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as William the Conqueror. Production started in 2024.

References

  1. ↑ Harvey, Dennis (June 22, 2023). "God Is a Bullet Review: Nick Cassavetes Delivers a Blood-Soaked Highway to Hell". Variety . Retrieved June 23, 2023.
  2. ↑ White, James (March 18, 2021). "Jamie Foxx, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau And Maika Monroe Among The Cast For Action Thriller God Is A Bullet". Empire. Retrieved March 4, 2022.
  3. ↑ Seigh, Steve (March 18, 2021). "God Is a Bullet: Jamie Foxx leads all-star cast for Nick Cassavetes thriller". JoBlo.com. Retrieved March 4, 2022.
  4. ↑ Wiseman, Andreas (April 20, 2023). "'God Is A Bullet', Starring Maika Monroe, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau & Jamie Foxx, Lines Up US Theatrical Release In June". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved April 20, 2023.
  5. ↑ Mendelsohn, Jon (June 25, 2021). "Nikolaj Coster-Waldau and Maika Monroe Star in Dark First Images from 'God Is A Bullet'". Collider. Retrieved March 4, 2022.
  6. ↑ Gomez, Adrian (August 12, 2021). "'God Is a Bullet' wraps filming in NM with Jaime Foxx, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau". Albuquerque Journal. Retrieved March 4, 2022.
  7. ↑ "Jamie Foxx, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, January Jones to lead action-thriller 'God Is a Bullet'". The Hindu. March 19, 2021. Retrieved March 4, 2022.
  8. ↑ Wiseman, Andreas (April 20, 2023). "'God Is A Bullet', Starring Maika Monroe, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau & Jamie Foxx, Lines Up US Theatrical Release In June". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on April 21, 2023. Retrieved April 21, 2023.
  9. ↑ "God Is a Bullet". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media . Retrieved November 9, 2023. OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
  10. ↑ "God Is a Bullet". Metacritic . Fandom, Inc. Retrieved November 9, 2023.
  11. ↑ Abele, Robert (June 22, 2023). "Review: The hack-noir of 'God Is a Bullet' is one long slog". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved June 23, 2023.
  12. ↑ McAndrews, Mary Beth (June 27, 2023). "'God Is A Bullet' Review: A Shallow Attempt At Modern Exploitation". Dread Central . Retrieved July 6, 2023.
  13. ↑ Whang Yee Ling (June 28, 2023). "At The Movies: God Is A Bullet shoots blanks, Ruby Gillman: Teenage Kraken makes a splash". The Straits Times . Retrieved July 6, 2023.
  14. ↑ Zilko, Christian (June 22, 2023). "'God Is a Bullet' Review: Nihilistic Revenge Thriller Doesn't Believe in Anything — Including Plot". IndieWire . Retrieved July 6, 2023.
  15. ↑ Daniels, Robert (June 23, 2023). "God Is a Bullet". RogerEbert.com . Retrieved July 6, 2023.
  16. ↑ Garlington, Keith (June 23, 2023). "'God Is a Bullet'". Arkansas Democrat-Gazette . Retrieved July 6, 2023.
  17. ↑ Navarro, Meagan (June 22, 2023). "'God Is a Bullet' Review – Maika Monroe and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau Shine in Unrelenting Gauntlet of Violence". Bloody Disgusting . Retrieved July 6, 2023.
  18. ↑ Harvey, Dennis (June 22, 2023). "'God Is a Bullet' Review: Nick Cassavetes Delivers a Blood-Soaked Highway to Hell". Variety .
  19. ↑ Whittaker, Richard (June 23, 2023). "God Is a Bullet". The Austin Chronicle. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
  20. ↑ Thompson, Luke Y. (June 22, 2023). "God Is A Bullet review: Jamie Foxx can't save this revenge flick misfire". The A.V. Club . The Onion . Retrieved July 6, 2023.
  21. ↑ McIndoe, Ross (June 22, 2023). "God Is a Bullet Review: An Overkill of Violence for Your Ears and Eyeballs". Slant Magazine .
  22. ↑ Scheck, Frank (June 22, 2023). "'God Is a Bullet' Review: Jamie Foxx and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau in Nick Cassavetes' Brutal — and Brutally Silly — Thriller". The Hollywood Reporter .
  23. ↑ Catsoulis, Jeannette (June 22, 2023). "'God Is a Bullet' Review: Cult, but Not Classic". The New York Times . Retrieved July 6, 2023.
  24. ↑ Martin, Peter (June 20, 2023). "GOD IS A BULLET Review: Revenge Is a Dish Best Served Bloody". Screen Anarchy . Retrieved July 6, 2023.
  25. ↑ Strauss, Bob (June 22, 2023). "Review: 'God Is a Bullet' is as unpleasant as it is unholy". San Francisco Chronicle . Retrieved July 6, 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.