Review of Joshua (2007) by Zarinah H — 14 Jan 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!