Joshua

Movie Info

Genre(s): Suspense/Thriller

Written by: George Ratliff
David Gilbert

Directed by: George Ratliff

Release Date:
Theatrical: July 6, 2007
DVD: January 8, 2008

Running Time: 90 minutes, Color

Origin: USA

Summary

RATING: R for language and some disturbing behavior by a child

Starring Sam Rockwell, Vera Farmiga, Celia Weston, Dallas Roberts, Michael McKean, Jacob Kogan, Nancy Giles, and Linda Larkin

Joshua is the tale of Brad and Abby Cairn, perfect Manhattan parents in a perfect Manhattan apartment whose perfect life begins to crack after the birth of their second child Lily. Shortly after Lily arrives home, a dark side of prodigy son Joshua slowly begins to reveal itself. (Fox Searchlight Pictures)

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What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

What Our Users Said

Vote Now!The average user rating for this movie is 5.3 (out of 10) based on 23 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Jason gave it a10:
After a single viewing, 8 out of 10. given my perspective after a second look, and thought about this film, l consider it an unmitigated masterpiece. while the title character seems at first like a demon, it is soon clear that demons surround him. I am grateful to the filmmakers for the introspection this film gave me.

Michael L. gave it a9:
Maybe you need to be a New Yorker to appreciate this subversive, creepy homage to Hitchcockian subtlety. An indictment of self-involved yuppie parents, the film examines a typical, dysfunctional monied Manhattan family and creates an ambiguous game of "who's the real psychotic?" that plays brilliantly to city dwellers whose line between sanity and paranoia is crossed daily. More of a morality tale about the results of Narcissistic parenting than a "Bad Seed" rip-off (thank God), this is a smart, scary, disturbing little gem filled with terrific performances (Vera Farmiga is brilliant as the medicated mommy, Sam Rockwell is the perfect parody of self-satisfied smarminess) is only for the thinking-person. All others should watch "The Good Son" on DVD...

Chad S. gave it a6:
Ned(Dallas Roberts) knows that mental illness runs in his family, but he stands up for Joshua(Jacob Kogan) after Brad(Sam Rockwell) accuses his son of a vicious attack on a loved one. Abby(Vera Farmiga) has a chemical imbalance, so it would be reasonable to believe that Joshua inherited the family curse. The mother's sociopathical behavior almost steals the spotlight from her son. "Joshua" is like "Carrie" in this respect. To bolster his story, Sam should've impressed upon his brother-in-law the incident at Joshua's school and the fate of the family pet. For much of its running time, "Joshua" is a taut psychological drama that never goes overboard by presenting its titular character as being possessed by a demonic spirit. With great subtlety, the movie suggests that the mother may possibly be culpable for a lot of Joshua's problems. Family secrets are kept off-screen. But the movie loses its credibility with me when Brad doesn't emit a sense of revulsion against Joshua if he believes his boy to be a cold-blooded murderer. We also miss Abby, since Farmiga delivers the film's best performance. What's interesting about "Joshua" is our mixed feelings towards the boy. How can he be a pure villian if his parents don't truly love him?

hello you gave it a10:
Give it a 10 only to offset some of these very low scores some of the unintelligent viewers have given. Without those I'd give the film about a 7. When you hear a movie about a kid that kills people and outsmarts adults; it's easy to scoff at it due to how ridiculous that sounds. However this movie pulls it off with ease by being ambigious with the character of Joshua. You feel sorry for him yet are also repelled by him through characters like Brad, played excellently by Sam Rockwell. He's a man trying to keep his family together but failing miserably due to a newborn, a looney wife off her meds, and a son that feels neglected. The brother of the wife spends a lot of time with Joshua and the boy ends up seeing this man as a father figure rather than his own dad. Joshua wants his dad to neglect him in a sense; "You don't have to love me". It is never clear whether Joshua is the cause of the death around him, orchestrating the demise of his father and the destruction of his not so happy family. The end scene, after Joshua has pulled off his plan, where he sings to the brother is probably the creepiest scene in ANY movie I have ever watched. It sent chills up my body and that can be greatly attested to the actor's (Joshua)performance.

Mikey O. gave it a1:
Don't bother with this movie! Some of the performances are okay, but nothing can overcome a bad script! This film is poorly plotted, uninvolving, and just plain stupid. I saw this dud in a movie theater with exactly three other audience members (a hit it's not), and we all groaned when it was over. If you're looking for a good psychological thriller, you're out of luck--this movie was a huge disappointment. I've seen better movies on "Lifetime"!

Daniel W gave it a7:
Anyone who has had children will get cold sweats from the movie's first act. The anxiety-ridden nights in which even silence seems ominous, the fear that there is somehow something "wrong" with a baby who just will not stop crying, and the growing suspicion that one will simply not be up to the task -- it's all rendered here in pitch-perfect manner. Unfortunately, a movie cannot survive on mere ambiance, and so the filmmakers introduce a plot that often leads them into absurdity. But they create some genuine flesh-crawling moments along the way.

hughie gave it an8:
Well constructed and well acted.It does require intelligence and patience from the viewer however!

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