Joshua (Sundance Film Reviews)

If you’ve ever wondered what a boring thriller could look like, then watch Joshua. It was like watching The Omen, minus Satan, but add far too much predictability. Of course little Joshua was standing behind every door, waiting to scare his mom. Of course little Joshua was systematically driving his family insane. And of course he won. The film’s music embodied how dull this film was. The storyline revolves around the age of Joshua’s newborn sibling, and every time we are told how old this newborn is, a piano note or two is struck hard resonating into. While the idea may have been to create the tension Hitchcock or Palanski were masters of, it felt more like the soundtrack of The Firm. But hey, a John Grisham book adaptation would have been better than this not-so-thrilling “thriller.”
After this film ended, Fox Searchlight interviewed me about my thoughts on the film. I didn’t want to slam the film, so I said, “It was a slow thriller.” Unfortunately, someone at Fox Searchlight was stupid enough to buy this, which will be lucky it is makes over $15 million. I watch films like these and am given hope. I’m given hope because if that could make it into Sundance and get bought, then something actually good has a chance as well.