Joshua (2007)

Movie quotes:
Brad (Sam Rockwell): I think you're sick, Josh.
Joshua (Jacob Kogan): I don't feel sick. Not at all.

At a glance:
A nine-year old boy reacts badly when his parents welcome a new baby girl into the world, in this subtle psychological horror film, worth seeing for Jacob Kogan’s creepy turn as Joshua

Our review:
When the Cairns welcome new baby daughter Lily into the world, their prodigy son Joshua (Jacob Kogan) reacts negatively. So does Lily’s mom Abby (Vera Farmiga); initially thrilled, she plunges into post-partum depression (just like she did with Joshua) when Lily never seems to stop crying. But why is Lily crying? Like many horror films, there are ludicrous aspects of the script that need to be ignored; your tolerance for these moments will determine your opinion of the film. For the most part, the film inhabits that middle area; it tries to pass itself off as a serious psychological thriller, and so is unwilling to go over the top; but, like Flight Plan, this makes the script implausibilities stand out all the more. Still, it’s a solid little nail-biter, with Kogan’s performance as a kind of Stepford-wife variation well worth seeing – and it’s always great to watch Sam Rockwell squirm – he just seems to deserve it.

I haven’t watched one of these ‘Children of the Corn’ movies since my daughter was born over 5 years ago, but since I was babysitting her and her two cousins tonight, I thought this would be the ideal time for a good kiddie scare; fortunately for my heart, none of them woke up and showed up at my door unexpectedly while I was watching. Rating: 2.5 of 4

Other reviewers said:
"The stress that mounts throughout this strangely tame and quietly spooky horror thriller has a masterfully palpable asphyxiating mood to it that the director exploits for maximum audience discomfort and unrelieved dread."
- Prairie Miller (NewsBlaze)

"If you strip away all the meddling that Joshua does, it's clear to see the family is dysfunctionally psychopathic from the start."
- Kevin Carr (7M Pictures)