‘Godless’ Trailer: Netflix Welcomes Viewers To ‘No Man’s Land’

“Mr... We’re a lot f***ing stronger than you think we are!”

“Mr… We’re a lot f***ing stronger than you think we are!”

When we think of westerns it’s often squinty old gunslingers, cowpoke towns, and swinging saloon doors that come to mind. But beneath the genre’s dusty layer of horse wrangling, train robbing, and high noon shootouts, the best westerns are about periods of transition.

Take the stories from Clint Eastwood’s Unforgiven, Scott Cooper’s Hostiles, and Rockstar Games’ Red Dead Redemption, and at their core are men who thrived in a bygone era; people with bloody pasts and skills that are no longer needed. Westerns often focus on frontier life and the way its citizens are forced to confront modern society’s intrusion. Netflix’s new series, Godless, centers on a town in a state of transition, and amidst the fallout from the Harvey Weinstein scandal, the show’s themes of upheaval and female empowerment couldn’t be more relevant.

Godless is a six-episode limited series by Steven Soderbergh and Scott Frank. The show is about a man who is on the run from a gang of outlaws and so he takes refuge in an isolated mining town governed by women. The cast features Michelle Dockery (Downton Abbey), Jack O’Connell (Unbroken), Sam Waterson (The Newsroom), Kim Coates (Sons of Anarchy), Scoot McNairy (Halt and Catch Fire), and Jeff Daniels (The Martian).

Godless won’t hit Netflix for another month which feels too far off after watching the show’s trailer. Check it out.

What stands out about the trailer is the early shot of the lift bringing up the dead miners. It’s brutal, unflinching, and sums up the show in only a couple of seconds: The men are gone, women are in charge, and they are not to be trifled with. There have been westerns like Robert Altman’s McCabe & Mrs. Miller that feature strong female characters who are wittier and more competent than the men around them. Godless’ all-the-men-are-dead premise takes things one step further with a social statement that is ripe for dissection given the current political climate. It’s too soon to judge whether Godless works as a social commentary but there are other reasons I look forward to diving in.

There’s a lot to love in this trailer. First off, I love the show’s cinematography. Even if Godless turns out to be a dud it looks like the show’s striking visuals will make it worth the watch. I love the playfulness of battle-worn font used to list the actor’s names; it adds a pulpy visual flair to the onscreen action. And I love how the cover of Nancy’ Sinatra’s ‘Bang Bang’ begins playing in the middle of the trailer — maybe it’s because I’ve sat through Kill Bill’s intro about 1002 times.

Godless’ cast is loaded with talent, the show looks fantastic, and I love the premise of a former outlaw hiding out in a town full of women. If you’re a sucker for westerns like I am, Godless has to rank high on your must-watch list. You can catch the entire six-episode series when Godless hits Netflix on November 22nd, 2017.

Here is Netflix official synopsis for Godless.

Notorious criminal Frank Griffin (Jeff Daniels) and his gang of outlaws are on a mission of revenge against Roy Goode (Jack O’Connell), a son-like protégé who betrayed the brotherhood. While on the run, Roy seeks refuge with hardened widower Alice Fletcher (Michelle Dockery), an outcast herself, in a worn-down, isolated mining town of La Belle, NM — governed mainly by women. When word reaches La Belle that Griffin is headed their way, the town bands together to defend against the murderous gang in a lawless western frontier.

Victor Stiff: Pop culture writer & film critic. Film/Television/Tech Reviews & Interviews @ FSR, Screen Rant & Sordid Cinema