Netflix Western ‘Godless’ Offers Plenty of Gunfights, and Yes, God

Aaron Berke

“Godless” is a series that sounds much grittier than it plays. The title of the 7-episode Netflix show evokes images from classic nihilistic Western films like “Tombstone,” “Unforgiven” and “True Grit.” Indeed, some of the imagery in “Godless” evokes those movies too. A derailed train filled with mangled corpses. A dead baby thrown into a ditch. A collapsed mine shaft chock full of ashen bodies. These visceral images pack a punch. But they don’t account for the real heart and soul of “Godless.”

Set in the town of La Belle, New Mexico in the 1880s, the pilot centers on Roy Goode (Jack O’Connell), a former member of murderous outlaw Frank Griffin’s gang. Played by Jeff Daniels, Griffin has been busy burning down entire communities, hell bent on finding Roy and taking back the money Roy stole. Roy finds sanctuary with a Native American woman, Alice Fletcher (Michelle Dockery) along with her son, Truckee (Samuel Marty). The family has been cast out from La Belle, which suffered a horrible tragedy when all the men died in a mine shaft collapse. The town blames Alice for their tragedy, believing her to be a powerful witch. Now run by women, the town has become something of a feminine utopia, though some of them long for men to return. Others, like the fierce Mary Agnes (Merritt Weaver) find love in other women. Meanwhile, the town’s sheriff, Bill McNue (Scoot McNairy) is going blind, and seeks to prove himself one last time by unilaterally going after Griffin.

The pilot for “Godless” thrusts the viewer into the violent world of the Wild West. The characters are presented as traditional Western archetypes, and their problems are so specific to the setting that some viewers might need to adapt. But “Godless” exists in the Western tradition, and Westerns are, in their nature, a bit distancing at first. The pilot reflects this style, in that it introduces you to a disparate band of characters and simply follows them.

“Godless” pulls the viewer in after the first couple episodes, because the characters are so well written. Writer/Director Scott Frank is a master of his craft, having written the acclaimed scripts for “Logan,” Minority Report,” and the Oscar-nominated “Out of Sight.” With Frank’s signature, it’s impossible not to become invested in the multiple storylines and characters found in “Godless.”

Despite its title, the characters in “Godless” are all believers. Only Frank Griffin thinks the land is devoid of God, but that says more about the darkness of his soul than the reality of the landscape. By mid-way through the series, it’s clear that Faith is an important aspect of these characters’ journeys, and they each have a destiny to meet.

Roy’s journey is one of redemption and love. Over the course of the series he grows closer to Alice and Truckee, becoming a surrogate father-figure – much like his own. In several well-executed flashbacks, Roy recalls how he was abandoned by his brother, and eventually found by Griffin, who became the surrogate-father – until Roy rejected him. The relationship between Roy and Griffin is one of Biblical magnitude, and Mr. Frank does a magnificent job building anticipation for their eventual reunion – though the final stand-off is disappointingly bloodless.

Jeff Daniels’ performance as the murderous Griffin is one of the veteran actor’s most distinctive. Griffin is a character who could have easily been a one-note villain, but Frank grafts on Griffin a brutal backstory, in which his entire family was butchered right in front of him. Daniels channels this backstory in every moment of his performance, creating weight and sympathy that might otherwise have been unreachable. 

One of Griffin’s favorites pastimes is pretending to be a preacher. Because of this, he’s often reciting passages from the Bible or Greek philosophers like Xenophan. He also continually prophesizes his own death. In moments of gunfire, Griffin stands perfectly still, allowing the bullets to whizz by his head. As Griffin continually puts it, “This ain’t my death.”

Weaver’s Mary Agnes is the voice of the La Belle women, championing strength when the other women want to cow to the men. But Agnes gets moments of vulnerability too, thanks to Madam turned teacher Callie Dunne (Tess Frazer) who brings out Agnes’ soft side. Theirs is a sweet and sincere romance, every bit as touching as the one between Deputy Sheriff Whitey Winn (Thomas Brodie-Sangster) and Violinist Louise Hobbs (Jessica Sula).

Whitey is introduced in the second episode, and he becomes one of the series’ most likable characters. He crosses boundaries, both literal and metaphorical, when he visits the town of Blackdom, a society of African-American settlers who are known for their rough reputation. Whitey risks his own safety to be with Louise, a violin teacher who displays the same kindness of spirit and unrelenting bravery that he does. The star-crossed love angle is a humanizing element of “Godless,” providing the series with a helpful dose of romanticism.

At its core, “Godless” is a romantic Western. It has the most traits in common with classic John Wayne Westerns like “The Searchers” and Sergio Leone Spaghetti Westerns such as “The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.” The dark and gritty elements are simply window dressing that disguise a father-son story of pain and redemption. “Godless” is about an outlaw hiding from the gang that corrupted him. It’s about the father-figure whose heart was broken. It’s about a band of women trying to carry on after the deaths of their husbands. It’s about forbidden love of the time between a white boy and a black girl. It’s about a broken sheriff searching for purpose.

Scott Frank’s story is wonderfully told, and the characters, though clear archetypes, are magnetic and thoroughly watchable. The series strives to be deeper. It clearly wants to be something new and enduring, that will enliven the genre and stand the test of time. By the time Roy rides off into the sunset, it becomes clear that we’ve seen that familiar cycle of life and death, one that God was watching all along.

“Godless” premieres Nov. 22 on Netflix.