Paul Mescal is continuing to bulk up his Emmy-nominated resumé with a role in God's Creatures, a new Irish family drama from Saela Davis and Anna Rose Holmer.

God’s Creatures was written by Fodhla Cronin O’Reilly with a screenplay by Shane Crowley. It stars Paul Mescal, Emily Watson, Aisling Franciosi, Declan Conlon, Marion O’Dwyer, and Toni O’Rourke.

Known for their first collaboration The Fits, the director duo have crafted a film which follows a dangerous secret threatening to unravel a family in a fishing town.

The flick made a strong debut at the Cannes Film Festival in May, with critics applauding Mescal’s performance. Many predicted that a late September rollout from A24 could lead to the film becoming an unexpected hit during the autumn movie season.

Per the official synopsis from A24, God’s Creatures is set in a quiet, brooding Irish fishing village and follows the increasingly strained relationship between prodigal son Brian O’Hara (Mescal) and his mother, Aileen (Watson), when Brian suddenly returns home to his family after living abroad in Australia for seven years.

After Brian is accused of an unspeakable act against a former flame (Franciosi), Aileen is caught between protecting her dear son and her own sense of right and wrong, driving her to near-madness. With stirring performances from Watson, Mescal, and Franciosi, the film’s incisive take on familial vs. moral obligations will ensnare audiences and drive them to the brink of tragedy alongside Aileen, with her difficult decision continuing to claw at you long after you’ve finished the film.

Maynooth native Mescal first burst onto the scene as Connell in the hit BBC Three/Hulu series Normal People as leading man Connell Waldron.

God’s Creatures will be released in cinemas on Friday, September 30. You can watch the trailer below.