Joshua

This movie is about a creepy kid. Not those creepy kids that you see in Japanese horror films or the American remakes of Japanese horror films. This kid is creepy like the kid in the original version of The Omen. I haven’t seen The Bad Seed, but I have seen The Good Son and this kid is way creepier than Macaulay Caulkin (in the movie, not in real life where Macaulay wins the weirdo trophy). This kid is so creepy that at certain points in the movie, I wanted to punch him in the face, but then I realized that he’s a kid and I would never punch a kid in the face even though this kid is truly an asshole. This kid’s name is Joshua. I’ll refer to him as Joshua or as kid from now on. Joshua (played by Jacob Kogan) is a youngster with an amazing hair helmet and a penchant for asking awkward questions and staring. He stares a lot. His parents, Brad and Abby Cairn, are played by Sam Rockwell and Vera Farmiga (two actors I will watch in any movie). Joshua is written and directed by George Ratliff, a documentary filmmaker (Hell House). George is also directing End Zone, which I believe is an adaptation of the Don DeLillo book of the same name. You get points for that, George.

The plot is pretty straightforward. Joshua is weird. He doesn’t like sports, he’s way too intelligent for his age, and he plays classical songs (I’m lumping Baroque and Romantic and all that under classical) on the piano. He doesn’t like rock music or country music or rap. I guess this makes him abnormal. He doesn’t have asthma or glasses, though. His dad wants him to be a normal kid, but to no avail. This creates an emotional distance between father and son. Joshua’s mother has just given birth to a baby girl and devotes her love and attention to the new arrival. This probably makes Joshua a little jealous and sad and leaves him feeling left out. Plus, his mother is bi-polar. Both his parents are either agnostic or atheist. His grandma is a pushy Evangelical Christian. This creates some familial tension. The entire movie is tense. Tense and uncomfortable and pretty damn creepy. I haven’t felt this creeped out watching a movie since Rosemary’s Baby. This movie’s tone feels a lot like the Satan Baby movie, but without the supernatural element. This film is all about naturalism. And creepiness (have I used that word enough yet?). I wanted to turn it off a few times because I was starting to feel sick…not sick because of blood or gore (there isn’t much), but emotionally sick. There's this cool dynamic where Joshua brings out the worst in the parents and the parents bring out the worst in Joshua. Vera Farmiga’s character is an emotional wreck and she sells the part beautifully. Sam Rockwell’s character goes through an incredible transformation as well. And the kid…damn that kid.

My two favorite scenes in the movie: the recital and when Brad watches the videotape. And hide and seek with Abby. I guess that’s my third favorite scene. There’s some good humor buried in this film, under the layers of darkness. In one part, Joshua goes to a church meeting with his grandma. He starts reading the bible, specifically the book of Joshua. He talks about Jesus. When his dad gets fed up with some of his behavior, he tells Joshua, “So you love Jesus, huh? Go to bed.” His abrupt tone and delivery are hilarious.

I love this film. There hasn’t been a great psychological thriller like this since Jacob’s Ladder. Granted, I haven't seen Mr. Brooks yet but I feel safe with my assertion. I highly recommend it. Watch it, please. And don’t cut your feet.