By the Grace of God
Three survivors transform buried trauma into a determined campaign to expose clerical abuse and institutional silence in the French Catholic Church.
Overview
A powerful exploration of resilience and justice in the face of deep-seated trauma.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- sober
- compassionate
- urgent
- serious viewing
- social justice programming
What critics said
Critics broadly praised François Ozon's patient, lucid, compassionate, and urgently acted account of survivors confronting institutional concealment, while some found its docudrama structure overextended.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Alexandre Guérin, François Debord, and Emmanuel Thomassin lead interconnected accounts of abuse, disclosure, and mobilization.
The survivors challenge a Catholic hierarchy accused of concealing Father Bernard Preynat's abuse.
The film approaches the abuse scandal through patient, compassionate dramatization rather than graphic depiction.
The protagonists use meetings, correspondence, and public organization to dismantle the code of silence.
Films like By the Grace of God, and why
Spotlight
shared sober true-story drama, institutional accountability, and survivor-centered investigation
Doubt
shared compassionate examination of sexual abuse, religious authority, and the long aftermath of trauma
The Tale
shared ensemble drama about survivors confronting institutional silence and collective trauma
The Insult
shared European social drama about ordinary people mobilizing against entrenched institutional power
Movie Details
- Director
- François Ozon
- Release Date
- 2019-02-20
- Runtime
- 137 min
- Rating
- 7.2 / 10 (600)
Cast
- Melvil Poupaud
- Denis Ménochet
- Swann Arlaud
- Éric Caravaca
- François Marthouret
- Bernard Verley
- Martine Erhel
- Josiane Balasko
- Hélène Vincent
- François Chattot
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, OVID, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is By the Grace of God about?
- Three survivors transform buried trauma into a determined campaign to expose clerical abuse and institutional silence in the French Catholic Church.
- What is By the Grace of God like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of By the Grace of God as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is By the Grace of God violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in By the Grace of God as mild.
- What did critics think of By the Grace of God?
- Critics broadly praised François Ozon's patient, lucid, compassionate, and urgently acted account of survivors confronting institutional concealment, while some found its docudrama structure overextended.
- Which films are like By the Grace of God?
- Films with a similar feel include Spotlight, Doubt, The Tale, and The Insult.
- How long is By the Grace of God?
- By the Grace of God runs 137 minutes.
- Where can I watch By the Grace of God?
- In United States, By the Grace of God streams on Amazon Prime Video, OVID, Amazon Prime Video with Ads.
