27 of 30 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A squirm-inducing psychological thriller, January 9, 2008
"Joshua" is set in New York city and focuses on a young family comprising of Brad and Abby Cairn [Sam Rockwell and Vera Farmiga], who seem to lead a charmed life. Brad has a well-paying job, they live in a comfortable city apartment, and they have a 9-year-old son, Joshua [Jacob Kogan] who is also a gifted pianist. There is also a new baby, Lily who seems like a perfect child, quiet and lovable, but this seemingly perfect family portrait slowly unravels into a nightmarish horror as the family is plunged into one crisis after another.
It appears that harmless little Joshua, of the quiet and unassuming character, is not so benign after all. In fact, far from it - Lily's birth seems to be the catalyst that brings forth his psychopathic behavior [arguably simmering within him all along]. At first, the problems seem to have ordinary reasons - Abby seems unable to cope with the demands of motherhood [understandable given her history of depression and PPD], dad Brad seems to be the quintessential good guy, a supportive husband and dad trying to balance the demands of work and family, but the audience is never kept in the dark as to the sinister force behind the family's problems.
The acting was surprisingly good given that the main actors are not really well-known. Brad Cairn [as played by Sam Rockwell] makes a convincing husband and father and is the proverbial good guy in a bad situation. Vera Farmiga is also believable as Abby Cairn, whose misery at being unable to cope with a fussy infant and the demands of being a wife and mother added to her battle with depression is very convincing indeed - except that you tend to wonder - why does she refuse to seek help [no nanny, housekeeper, or even family rule?]. This does stretch the credulity level a bit, but still works on-screen. There is a supportive brother Ned [Dallas Roberts] who is well-liked by all, yes, even by Joshua. Too bad he doesn't appear in too many scenes. There is the zealous Christian grandmother [Celia Weston] and of course Joshua himself, played ably by Jacob Kogan. His Joshua is well-groomed at all times [nary a hair out of place],and projects a quiet sort of malevolence that permeates the scenes he appears in, and even when he isn't there, the score and sets add to the sinister atmosphere.
For fans of psychological horror, Joshua is very much reminiscent of classics like The Bad Seed [remember Rhoda?], and The Other, even The Good Son, and if you haven't seen those movies, you might want to check them out. All of them are highly atmospheric and thought-provoking. As for Joshua, it is a well-paced psychological thriller that is worth a few squirms, at least!
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8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Chilling, Immanent Evil, March 22, 2008
A lot of talk shows have recently been featuring the plight of parents under siege, afraid of their own children - parents who feel compelled to lock their bedroom doors at night. This movie deals with a more creepily contained version of such a problem. The danger isn't quite as blatant or as aggressively relentless as seen on some of the talk shows. But its subtlety makes it all the more chilling.
There are a few obvious cinematic borrowings from other famous suspense films here. For example, you might, at a few points, be reminded of Damien's targeted, juggernaut cycling scene in "The Omen." Then there is a twist on the famous "Potemkin" stairway/baby carriage scene.
But unlike those films, "Joshua" strives for and achieves the more low-key disquiet of mundane reality. And it is made all the more disturbingly realistic by the fact that not only Joshua, but all the family members are shown with at least thread-line cracks running through their personalities.
"Joshua" is a well-written, well-acted must-see for all suspense movie fans, as well as for all students of family dynamics.
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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Worth a Watch, March 7, 2008
This flick has been thoroughly summarized so I will skip that portion. Joshua is an overall good, creepy film. Sam Rockwell gives perhaps one of his best performances as a father who can do nothing but watch his family fall apart while some, slip into insanity. Joshua (the movie) has a very slow and deliberate pacing that constantly builds towards the end of the film. This is a clever and well thought out flick that coasted through theaters and onto DVD but none the less is more then worth the price of a rental to check out. Joshua also features a new, very good, Dave Matthews song during the end credits.
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