I’m going to keep this brief and spoiler free because, while this film is not for everyone, if you happen to be the target audience, experiencing this movie with as little background as possible is essential in viewing this movie and witnessing the horrific, tragic, but beautiful unfolding of events. This movie is art by it’s truest definition.
Today we shall discuss All Creatures Here Below.
The film stars David Dastmalchian as Gensan and Karen Gillan as Ruby, a young couple living in poverty and struggling to make ends meet. They both are horrifically traumatized by the things life has thrown at them, and while they certainly don’t have the healthiest dynamic there is a genuine love there. Dastmalchian and Gillan, as both always do in everything, give heart wrenching performances, breathing life into two very complicated people and providing the humanity needed to allow the audience to sympathize. Gillan allows her natural sweetness and charm to really center herself as the heart of the film, where Dastmalchian expertly walks the line between desperation and reluctant optimism. Gensan has to be the one to make a lot of the harder decisions in the relationship, so while he may not always make the right call, you can see why he is making the choices he does and the burden that he bears as a result. They play wonderfully off of each other, and the chemistry allows for scenes that will follow you long after the film is over.
Spanning just a few days, most of the film takes place in cars or hotels after Ruby and Gensan make decisions that ultimately shift the course of their life forever and force them to return to their home in the midwest. This intimate setting over such a short span of time adds to the urgency of their situation. It’s claustrophobic, it’s tense, it’s exhausting — the audience is completely immersed in the world of both of these people and while it’s a film that demands your attention, the experience is rewarding. All Creatures Here Below is a human film, everything about it reeks of every human emotion and impulse I believe possible to experience. In this day and age, where so many films feel glossy and distant, All Creatures Here Below feels so very real, even when the tragedy hits extreme levels. Similar to the works of Faulkner and Steinbeck, the worst things that happen to Ruby and Gensan are rooted in generational trauma, familial pain, and the system working against two people who are trying their best with the limited cards they’ve been dealt. There is no real villain save for the system that has driven them both to this point, and their actions spring from desperation and a love for each other in a world that has just beaten them down to almost nothing. Yet still, they try — like so many southern gothics before them. And to me, this makes a work so much more compelling than something that just hits the beats audiences want a work to hit. This is something that feels like you shouldn’t be watching it, and yet you can’t look away; this is art.
I take breaks when I watch this movie. I have to walk away from my screen and I have to process what I have just seen before I can continue. For everything that goes wrong for Gensan and Ruby, there are these little moments of beauty and love between them that convince the audience to stay, instilling hope that things might work out or could get better. And isn’t that one of the great mysteries of life, one of the little promises that keep us going day to day? When I say this is a human story, I mean that. And again, this is not for the faint of heart nor is it for everyone, but as a huge lover of Faulkner, with The Sound & The Fury being a particular favourite, I have to say I truly love this as a film. It’s not a comfort film, nor is it something for casual background noise as I write a review or sit with my dog, but if I need to remind myself exactly what makes a film good — or rather, what makes a film art– then this would be my immediate go to.
I can’t say enough about this film, but I’ll keep it short to allow you all the experience of viewing it for yourselves. I watched it four days ago and I keep coming back to scenes here and there, and when I do, I can’t help but to care about these people. Effective dialogue, incredible direction, and stellar performances, All Creatures Here Below is an experience. I feel haunted by this movie, but not due to the subject matter, but because it’s such a tragic and beautiful reminder of what art should always be: raw, loving, frightening, always saying something, and utterly human.