What Is All God’s Creatures About?
The premise of All God’s Creatures in 294 words, with nothing given away. The full story follows below.
In the restless streets of New York City, a modest coffee shop becomes the quiet front for a life lived in stark contrast to its warm, everyday rhythm. The film unfolds against a backdrop of neon‑lit avenues and cramped apartments, where the ordinary and the unsettling coexist, hinting at the fragile veneer that separates daily normalcy from hidden obsession.
Jon works the counter by day, his calm demeanor and meticulous habits masking a darker compulsion that surfaces when night falls. He navigates his world with a precision that feels both methodical and eerie, suggesting an internal divide between the polite barista and the lurking shadows of his private self. The tone is tense and atmospheric, inviting the audience to linger in the uneasy spaces between light and darkness, where every polite smile could conceal something far more sinister.
Delia glides into the coffee shop one afternoon, a young woman with a sharp wit and a past she’s desperate to outrun. She is drawn to the city’s promise of a fresh start, hoping to rescue a sibling from a troubled life and find stability beyond the streets that have shaped her. Her presence introduces a fragile thread of vulnerability and hope that begins to tug at the edges of Jon’s meticulously built isolation, hinting at a collision between two starkly different worlds.
As the narrative pushes forward, the film probes the nature of monstrosity, asking whether the capacity for love is reserved for a privileged few or available to all—no matter how bruised or broken. Through moody cinematography and a brooding score, the story weaves a quiet, unsettling meditation on desire, redemption, and the unsettling question of what might happen when a solitary, haunted soul finally meets someone daring enough to challenge the darkness within.
What Happens in All God’s Creatures?
The complete story of All God’s Creatures, from the first scene to the last, in 609 words (about 3 minutes). Spoilers throughout. Names in the text link to 3 cast member pages.
Spoilers ahead
Jon, a man who hates women, brings Jeanie back to his apartment after a night out. He pours wine for them, drugs her, and she passes out. He wraps her in a plastic tarp, tapes her mouth shut, and proceeds to stab her to death with a screwdriver. He dismembers the body, keeping her hand in a jar as a macabre keepsake.
Jon is working as a barista when Delia arrives, flirts with him, and he imagines attacking her, quickly deciding to make her his next victim. That evening, a prostitute offers him a “date,” which he accepts before strangling her. Delia works as an escort and has posted an ad online on Craigslist.
Delia returns to the coffee shop and the two share more flirtation. She asks him to take her out, and they head to a bar. Delia tells him she recently moved to town, that her parents are dead, and that she’s trying to save money to bring her little sister, Lydia, to live with her. He claims to be a neat freak. By the end of the night, they stand outside Jon’s building and she wants to come up, but he offers weak excuses for why that can’t happen. Delia obtains his number and leaves. Jon then hires another escort to come over and hits her with a hammer, killing her.
Back at the coffee shop, Jon anxiously waits for Delia to return and is disappointed when she doesn’t, so he goes to her apartment. He invites her to go to the movies with him. A few days later, at the coffee shop again, Jon asks Delia to come behind the counter and they prank-call people. She remembers she has an appointment with a client at a hotel. Jon, agitated, goes home and clears out the jars of body parts and paints the walls.
Delia goes to a career counselor who offers her a job as an elevator operator. She walks by the coffee shop and sees that Jon is not there. She then calls Lydia and leaves a voicemail telling her to gather a few things and that she’s going to go get her. Jon phones to say he wanted to surprise her with dinner since he feels bad about standing her up. She accepts, eager to share her new opportunity.
At Jon’s place, Delia excitedly tells him about her new job, and she accidentally spills wine on the carpet. He looks enraged but laughs, and they begin kissing before heading to the bedroom. Meanwhile, Lydia’s stepfather has discovered her plan to run away and tells her he won’t let her go; he rapes her. The next morning, Jon makes Delia breakfast in bed, but she says she must leave. He is offended when he thinks what they did was special to him but not to her.
After she leaves, Jon keeps calling Delia, but she does not answer. Delia arrives at the house to collect Lydia and discovers Lydia’s body in the bathtub; she realizes Lydia has taken her own life. Jon goes to a bar, drinks heavily, and a different girl flirts with him, assuming he’s a Mets player; he takes her home and strangles her during intercourse on the couch.
Delia returns, unsure what she just saw, and Jon grabs her, covering her mouth. He releases her and she asks why he hasn’t killed her yet. She helps him clean up, and they throw the body into a river. They devise a plan to kill Delia’s stepfather. They wait for his train to arrive, strangle him, and discover he is still alive, ultimately stabbing him to death with a broken bottle.
All God’s Creatures Timeline: Every Key Event in Order
15 key events in the order they happen, from “Jeanie’s murder and dismemberment” to “The stepfather is killed at the train station”. 13 events name a place, across 8 locations.
- 1
Jeanie’s murder and dismemberment
Jon brings Jeanie back to his apartment after a night out. He drugs her and she passes out, then stabs her to death with a screwdriver. He dismembers the body and keeps her hand in a jar as a macabre keepsake. This act marks the beginning of his serial-killer pattern.
When:Night Where:Jon's apartment
- 2
Jon fixates on Delia
While working as a barista, Delia flirts with him at the coffee shop and he fixates on her. He imagines attacking her and decides she will be his next victim, hiding his thoughts behind a courteous mask. This fixation foreshadows later violence.
When:Day Where:Coffee shop
- 3
Prostitute murder follows date
That evening, a prostitute offers him a date, which he accepts. After the encounter, he strangles her, continuing his violent spree. The killing underscores his growing recklessness.
When:Night
- 4
Delia returns; flirtation leads to a bar outing
Delia returns to the coffee shop and flirts with Jon, and they eventually go to a bar. She shares that she is new to town, has lost her parents, and wants to save money to bring her sister Lydia to live with her. Jon maintains a neat freak image while growing closer to her.
When:Evening Where:Local bar
- 5
Another escort is killed
That night, Jon hires another escort to come over and strikes her with a hammer, killing her. The act intensifies his murderous escalation and paranoia.
When:Night Where:Jon's apartment
- 6
Jon pursues Delia and proposes a movie
Back at the coffee shop, Jon waits for Delia to return and is disappointed when she doesn’t. He goes to Delia’s apartment and asks her to go to the movies with him, attempting to secure her company. His persistence reveals how he tries to control the growing relationship.
When:Night Where:Delia's apartment
- 7
The career counselor scene and Lydia plan
A few days later, Delia visits a career counselor who offers her a job as an elevator operator. She walks by the coffee shop and calls Lydia to gather a few belongings, planning to bring Lydia to town. This moment shows Delia's attempt to stabilize her life amid Jon’s volatile presence.
When:Daytime Where:Career counselor's office
- 8
Dinner invitation to smooth things over
Jon phones Delia, saying he wants to surprise her with dinner after standing her up earlier. Delia accepts the invitation, hoping to repair their relationship.
When:Evening
- 9
Delia and Jon escalate intimacy
At Jon's place, Delia excitedly tells him about her new job; she spills wine on the carpet, and though he seems enraged at first, he laughs and they kiss, moving toward the bedroom.
When:Evening Where:Jon's apartment
- 10
Lydia is raped by her stepfather
Meanwhile, Lydia’s stepfather discovers her plan to run away and rapes her, adding a brutal obstacle to Delia’s already precarious situation.
When:Night Where:Lydia's home
Show the other 5 events of All God’s Creatures Hide the last 5 events
- 11
Morning breakfast and abandonment
The next morning, Jon makes Delia breakfast in bed, but she says she must leave. He takes offense, interpreting their moment as more meaningful to him than to Delia.
When:Morning Where:Jon's apartment
- 12
Lydia’s suicide is discovered
After Delia leaves, she goes to Lydia’s home to collect her, and discovers Lydia has taken her own life in the bathtub. The discovery shocks Delia and deepens the couple’s perilous bond.
When:Morning Where:Lydia's home
- 13
A new murder follows at the bar
Jon goes to a bar, drinks heavily, and a different girl flirts with him. He takes her home and strangles her during intercourse on the couch, escalating the violence.
When:Night Where:Jon's apartment
- 14
Disposal and plan against the stepfather
Delia returns, unsettled by what she has witnessed; Jon grabs her briefly, then releases her as they clean up together and throw the new body into a river. They hatch a plan to kill Delia’s stepfather.
When:Night Where:Jon's apartment and river
- 15
The stepfather is killed at the train station
They wait for Delia's stepfather’s train to arrive, strangle him, and discover he is still alive, ultimately stabbing him to death with a broken bottle.
When:Night Where:Train station area
Who Are the Main Characters in All God’s Creatures?
4 characters, among them Jon (Josh Folan), Delia (Jessica Kaye) and Lydia (Tiffany Lee): who each one is and the part they play in the story. Every profile links to the actor’s page.
- J(
Jon (Josh Folan)
Played by Josh Folan
Jon is a barista with a deeply misogynistic, volatile temperament. He drugs Jeanie, murders her, and dismembers the body, displaying a cold, calculating streak. He also pursues Delia with a mix of charm and threat, illustrating a dangerous need for control.
- 💥 Violent
- 🧠 Calculating
- 😈 Predatory
- D(
Delia (Jessica Kaye)
Played by Jessica Kaye
Delia is an escort who flirts with Jon and moves to town with hopes to save money and help her sister Lydia. She becomes entangled in Jon’s volatile world, but remains resourceful and determined to escape his hold.
- 💎 Strong-willed
- 🧭 Resourceful
- 🎭 Complex
- L(
Lydia (Tiffany Lee)
Played by Tiffany Lee
Lydia is Delia’s younger sister, living with her, whose plans to run away are crushed. She faces the trauma of her stepfather’s abuse and ultimately dies by self-harm, highlighting the film’s themes of vulnerability and desperation.
- 👶 Young
- 💔 Tragic
- 🕊️ Vulnerable
- J(
Jeanie (Ginger Kroll)
Played by Ginger Kroll
Jeanie is the woman Jon abducts and kills early in the story, a stark example of the violence at the film’s center. Her fate underscores the predatory nature of the killer and the dangers lurking in seemingly ordinary encounters.
- 💀 Victim
- 🎯 Target
- 🎭 Tragic
Where and When Is All God’s Creatures Set?
When All God’s Creatures takes place (Present day), and why the period matters to the story.
When
Present day
The events take place in contemporary times, reflecting modern urban life, online dating, and casual nightlife. The setting emphasizes everyday routines that are disturbed by sudden acts of violence. The pacing unfolds over a short span in a city that feels current and real.
Where
The story unfolds in a contemporary urban town anchored by a local coffee shop. Key locations include Jon's apartment, a bar, and a hotel, with the river serving as a backdrop for the climactic acts. These familiar urban spaces heighten the tension and sense of danger throughout the narrative.
- 🏙️ Urban town
- ☕ Coffee shop
- 🏠 Apartment building
- 🍸 Bar
- 🚤 River
What Are the Themes of All God’s Creatures?
3 ideas the story keeps returning to, among them Obsession, Control and Ambiguity.
-
01
Obsession
A dangerous fixation drives Jon’s escalating violence. The film examines how desire can morph into compulsion, leading to brutal acts and a chilling disregard for others. Obsession propels the plot and reveals the destructive costs of fixation.
-
02
Control
Power dynamics and manipulation drive the relationships, with Jon attempting to exert dominance over his partners and victims. The narrative examines coercion, boundaries, and the consequences of seeking control at any cost. Control becomes a central, destabilizing force throughout the story.
-
03
Ambiguity
Moral ambiguity pervades the characters’ choices, blurring the line between victim and aggressor. The film invites reflection on accountability and complicity, leaving certain intents and sympathies unsettled. Ambiguity lingers long after the events unfold.
What Kind of Film Is All God’s Creatures?
Dark in tone, with steady pacing and a straightforward story, going by the plot summary.
- Tone
- Dark
- Pacing
- Steady
- Story
- Straightforward
- Intensity
- High
- Ending
- Mixed
A consistently grim and disturbing psychological thriller that follows a serial killer's violent double life and his unsettling relationship with a prostitute, creating a deeply unsettling and morally complex viewing experience.
- brutal
- disturbing
- grim
- unsettling
- anxious
- sadistic
- serial killer
- prostitution
- psychological trauma
- monstrosity and humanity
Content notes: graphic murder, dismemberment, sexual assault, suicide, prostitution.
Quiz
How well do you remember All God’s Creatures? Test yourself on the story.
