God's Own Country · reception & legacy

2017 · Francis Lee

How God's Own Country has been received, argued over, and remembered.

The arc

It arrived hot — Francis Lee won the World Cinema directing prize at Sundance 2017 — but got slightly eclipsed that year by Call Me by Your Name; since then it's steadily climbed into the queer-cinema canon, helped by Josh O'Connor's post-Crown, post-Challengers stardom sending people back to his breakout.

What's debated

The eternal debate is the 'British Brokeback Mountain' tag — lazy shorthand or fair comparison? — with fans (and Lee himself) insisting it's a very different, far less despairing kind of love story.

Its footprint

It's become a touchstone in the 'queer films that don't end in tragedy' conversation, endlessly cited alongside 2017 classmates Call Me by Your Name and BPM — and its muddy, wordless Yorkshire romance basically launched Josh O'Connor.

Where it stands

A Letterboxd darling and modern queer-canon staple — the 'actually, THIS was 2017's best gay romance' pick that cinephiles love to champion over its flashier classmates.

★ Did you know? Before shooting, Josh O'Connor and Alec Secăreanu were sent to work on separate Yorkshire farms — learning lambing and drystone walling for real — and Lee kept them apart so their first real acquaintance would happen in character.

Named by the director

Influences Francis Lee has publicly named — the director's own word, distinct from the inferred lines of influence.

An Officer and a Gentleman (1982) — Lee said that in his head he was 'making An Officer and a Gentleman' — a big Hollywood romance with a swept-off-your-feet ending, finally given to queer characters.
Pretty Woman (1990) — One of the 1980s–90s studio romances Lee grew up loving in Yorkshire and wrote the film in tribute to.
Working Girl (1988) — Another of the mainstream romances Lee named as his biggest influences on the film.
The Bridges of Madison County (1995) — Lee cited it among the classic romances whose dramatic sweep he wanted for a gay love story.
Kes (1969) — Lee has named Ken Loach's Yorkshire-set film as a formative early influence he loved as a teenager.
The Dardenne brothers — Lee cited the Dardennes' character-driven realism as a major influence on his approach.
Jacques Audiard — Lee said he watched a lot of Audiard's films during prep, drawing on his visceral, character-first style.