God’s Own Country (Cert 15; 105mins)
The intense romantic drama marks an auspicious debut from director Francis Lee who captures a vivid sense of the bleak Yorkshire landscapes and the turmoil of a dour, buttoneddown character struggling to express his emotions.
Johnny (Josh O’Connor) works on his dad’s farm and at night drinks himself into oblivion.
When Romanian farmhand Gheorghe (Alec Secareanu) is hired, Johnny is aggressive and rude towards him.
Gheorghe is content to graft and keep quiet. Then the two men head to the moors for the lambing season and a brooding tension erupts into passionate sex.
Their tentative relationship feels like the first warm ray of sunshine in Johnny’s cold world. Directed with great poise and assurance God’s Own Country looks fantastic and has a raw honesty that draws you in. Both men are exceptional and our compassion for Johnny is hard won and deeply felt. An outstanding debut feature.