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Stars: James David West, J.K. Robbins, Bob Daniel
Director: Matthew Laughter, Jake Parker
Producer: Modern Horrors

“We welcome you to the second Jerusalem.”

Continuing the camp chaos on day two of GASP! was, potentially, one of the most depraved films that I have ever seen. To a degree, God Country has it all. Often, the scariest horrors are the ones that feel somewhat real or plausible. Sadly, with its aggressive religious context, the insanity within this film is more applicable than desired.

When losing his job and second-guessing his engagement is bad enough, life continues to worsen for Ben (James David West) with the sudden death of his mother back in his hometown. To successfully claim his inheritance, Ben must revisit his dismal hometown, but he must also revisit his childhood trauma. Equipped with flashbacks aplenty, something sinister took place during Ben’s childhood, but the clarity is inconsistent, leaving a vulgar imagination to complete the work.

Journeying with his partner, Sam (J.K. Robbins), they find themselves as the obvious outsiders as they dive into right-wing religious territory. This awkward journey is an awful adventure into a world where society is completely backwards. What Ben and Sam think a small town funeral entails quickly and viciously evolves into something deeply sinister. Under the following of Pastor Deenan (Bob Daniel), a radical reading and interpretation of Jesus is present from the one edge of town to the other. Teaching his lessons through an infinite number of home video recordings, from top to bottom, there’s a prehistoric element to the darkness that is at play. Disciples left and right, there’s no escape from the influence of the Pastor.

In terms of violence, suggestion of violence, gore, and all other forms of the grotesque, God Country is limitless in how gruesome it wants to showcase itself. One of this film’s greatest strengths and attributes is, whilst showcasing varying levels of brutality, such brutality and violence is often presented in irony in an attempt at showcasing the hypocrisies with cult-like right wing religion. The unfathomable is often normalised in God Country.

The environment radicalises its individuals to such an extent that Ben becomes unrecognisable compared to his initial awkward self at the beginning of God Country. Credit to both the works of James David West and the co-direction of Matthew Laughter and Jake Parker in enabling the existence of this performance. Furthermore, throughout the supporting cast, the variety of performances collectively create a showcase of both distaste, slime, and intrigue. Wrestling veteran James Storm composes a terrific turn as one of Pastor Deenan’s sadistic disciples.

Ultimately, God Country is one of the best religious horror films that doesn’t engage with the spooky Heaven/Hell aspect of religion. Not only is the depiction of right wing religion absolutely frightening, co-directors Laughter and Parker successfully present the tropes of creepy, almost lawless small towns, as well as pure violence that entails both torture and gore aplenty. Perhaps, the plausibility is the scariest of all.