My attention span was feeling pretty robust, so I chose the French language film, All the Gods in the Sky, as my 16th (of a projected 31) film of my October new-to-me horror movie at-home fest. I do love a lot of foreign language horror films, but I’m not always in the right frame of mind or at the right energy level to read subtitles for the duration. I’m sure I’m not the only one that feels that way. I chose this one because the plot synopsis on Shudder sounded interesting. I know that’s a gamble, but sometimes it pays off. Let’s get into it, shall we?
Simon cares for his disabled adult sister, Estelle, on the decaying family farm left to them by their parents. He works a factory job to support them, neglecting the arable land under his name. At least some of his land has been usurped by a neighboring farmer to grow wheat. His routines are thrown into turmoil when he quits his meds and starts behaving erratically. He spends time in the wheat trampling stalks, he flies off the handle at work, with his psychiatrist, and at home, and he seems to be expecting some communication from the radio. Estelle is weak, bedridden, and mute with a large scar on the side of her head. She accidentally shot herself when they were playing with their father’s gun as kids. Simon was blamed as the older brother and it eventually fucked him up mentally. His guilt has overwhelmed him and he is looking for salvation from an extraterrestrial or supernatural source.
This film is a character study with horrific undertones. We sympathize with Simon despite his surliness and his violent actions. We see (very early in the runtime, so don’t worry about it being a spoiler) that he was essentially responsible for his sister’s debilitating injury, but we also see that he was just a little kid. Later when his father blames him outright, he even says that the police said it was dad’s fault for not securing the weapon. His sister is objectively a burden to him, but he never indicates that he feels that way. He feels responsible for her state and for her care. He refuses help from the welfare agency and violently rejects their attempts to assist. His care is not exemplary, but we see that his intentions are good. And his desperate and seemingly misguided hope for relief for both of them is understandable. But is it real or just in his head? The viewer hopes his delusion is real for both their sakes. Despite having no lines, Melanie Gaydos is superb as Estelle. Especially in the epilogue-like final act. The actress has leveraged her rare genetic disorder into a salable asset.
The Final Cut: All the Gods in the Sky is a descent into madness tale that will hook horror fans with its intimate portrayal of a flawed character in an incomprehensible situation and its mysterious hints of the paranormal.
No Real Danger 