Review of Joshua (2007) by Brendan P — 02 Apr 2009

This movie moved WAAAY too slow for its own good. I know the director was going for that show-burn dread that I like so much in artful contemporary horror, but they payoff in this film was infinitsimal.

There are so many interesting avenues this film could have explored, but it introduced then abandoned every one of them. Joshua and his grandmother's rabid religiosity, Abby's sever recurrent post-partum depression, the inherent tensions between Brad's homelife and career and Joshua's own emotional turmoil are all completely wasted here.

I think that the shifting focus between the characters in this film was a mistake. First it's Abby, and she's quickly disposed of, then it would appear to be Joshua for a little while, and the plot finally settles on the unravelling Brad.

Just when it looks like they're going to grant Joshua some depth, they flatten him out again. Which is the biggest shame in the film, because he could have proven to be a new breed of Bad Seed. Oh well.