‘God’s Time’ review: Authentic and layered look at complex relationships

Very funny, very New York.

February 22, 2023

God’s Time, the debut feature film from writer/director Daniel Antebi, is excellent. It’s a unique and compelling story about recovery and friendship — although certain things about the film will bring to mind the work of other directors. Driven by an impressive cast of newcomers, God’s Time is an exciting glimpse into one day in New York City as two friends try to stop an acquaintance from making a life-altering mistake.

God’s Time begs an immediate comparison to Zola. With an early appearance from Dev (Ben Groh), complete with on-screen text to introduce character names, we know we’re going to be in for a crazy story. Regina (Liz Caribel) let her ex-boyfriend Russell move in with her, only for him to “evict” her and steal her dog, which she claims led her to a relapse. From then, at every meeting she attends, she can’t help but bring up her POS boyfriend and her desire to kill him. Dev convinces his friend Luca — his partner in crime, if you will — to help stop Regina from following through with this.

Dev breaks the fourth wall in a way that manages to be charming . He’s charismatic, just shy of smarmy at times. He insists that he’s a good guy, he’s not the bad guy he used to be, he’s clean now — as he makes up a story about why he’s late to meet his friend. His consistent fourth-wall intrusion serves to lend some comic relief, as well as some basic explanations about certain language used in twelve-step fellowship meetings, like, what it means to “share”, and all the different things a “higher power” can be.

Later, when Regina later looks directly at the camera, it feels like a more confrontational way of breaking the fourth wall — which fits perfectly with her character. Twelve-step fellowship meetings can feel like their own little world, and this style of having the characters speak directly to the camera helps the viewer to feel like they’re invited to be a part of it.

God’s Time gives us a layered look at sobriety and the complex relationships that can arise. The performances from the three leads are fantastic – they are each in some ways relatable, and in some ways theatrical, mirroring a drama that anyone who’s been through recovery can relate to. Everything feels so important, so urgent, so life-or-death (only sometimes is it actually life or death).

Actress Liz Caribel won a Special Jury Prize at Tribeca Film Festival in 2022 for her performance as Regina, and it’s easy to see why. Regina is manipulative and complicated, and she wears her pain and her rage on her sleeve. She makes God’s Time the kind of film where you’ll barely want to blink, lest you miss something. Each of the three leads have this quality, but especially Caribel.

Dion Costelloe’s portrayal of Luca is more quietly skillful. Luca wants to be an actor, and at first he seems like the most grounded of the bunch. He may be more down to earth than Regina and Dev are, but he’s not without his own set of issues, including lying to Dev and a heap of codependency problems. It would have been easy for these characters to feel over-the-top, but the genuine performances from Caribel, Costelloe, and Groh make you feel like these characters could be your friends.

IFC Films

Representation of 12-step fellowships in television and film is always interesting, and much of the time it seems like even the most well-intentioned filmmakers and actors get it all wrong. The most accurate representation of addicts in recovery I’ve seen recently comes from both Doctor Sleep and from Midnight Mass (Mike Flanagan has been open about his own experiences in recovery). God’s Time is also pretty spot-on, showing the nuance and difficulty of getting sober, staying sober, and finding solid friendships within twelve-step fellowships.

God’s Time has an aggressive and frenetic energy that will bring to mind comparisons of Uncut Gems and the rest of the Safdie Brothers filmography. God’s Time is set apart by the sense of humor maintained throughout – even in dark moments, Dev cracks jokes and keeps the comedy going. It’s a dark sense of humor that might not appeal to everyone — the story itself is objectively serious — but the sheer style Antebi brings to the table is unmatched. Antebi’s portrayal of New York City, these friends in recovery, and the people in the meetings and on the streets, feels authentic and naturalistic. God’s Time is an exciting debut, and hopefully both Antebi and the film’s stars have more up their sleeves.