Joshua (2007)

Joshua should have been a made- for-TV movie. I usually like the actors especially Vera Farmiga who just really disappointed in every scene of the movie unfortunately. The montages with non-stop piano playing grated on my nerves as did the ongoing scenes of the baby crying.It was just so bad.

First of all, I just wanted to say that this movie was terrific. I am a fan of movies about evil children and so I knew what to expect, seeing similar movies such as "The Bad Seed" and "Children of the Corn" beforehand. I was greatly pleased when I watched this film. The main thing I liked, besides the wonderful story, was the extremely well-written characters. Character development is one of the most important things I feel any movie could have because if you don't care about the characters, you aren't going to care what happens to them so what good is watching a movie if you don't care about the characters? This movie did a wonderful job with writing the characters because I did care about them. Especially Joshua who was brilliantly portrayed by Jacob Kogan. He was perfectly cast in the role of Joshua who I think was misunderstood, and let me explain why: This film seems to try to portray Joshua as sinister, manipulative and evil and I don't think Joshua was evil at all, I just think he thought differently than other children and had habits and characteristics that were unusual compared to everyone else. He felt unloved by his parents and felt that they weren't giving him enough affection because of his new baby sister so he acted out and started doing these crazy things like collapsing on stage during the piano recital in an effort to gain their attention. In the scene where he tells the baby "no one will ever love you," I felt sorry for him because it shows that he feels unloved and unwanted by his parents so he blames the baby for it. The parents were too busy paying attention to the new baby that at times it seemed like they forgot they even had a son, so this carried on to the point where Joshua seemed to dislike his parents and wanted to be taken away from them, which is evident in the scene with the psychiatrist. I feel that he knew he would be taken away if he drew pictures filled with blood or violence and he wanted that to happen. He and his uncle had a strongbond and he felt he belonged with his uncle rather than his parents. As for the killing of the dog and his grandmother, we never actually see him kill them on screen so they could just be coincidental accidents. I like Joshua and feel that his character was similar to me in many ways including his interest in mummies and Ancient Egyptian culture, which were something I was greatly interested in when I was younger.Also, the ending of the film was the best part in my opinion. It made me almost cry both times I watched it, so you'd better have a tissue when you watch it. Overall, this film was a great movie with a wonderful story, well written characters, great acting, tons of suspense and great acting. If you haven't seen this movie, see it as soon as possible and try to see the character of Joshua from a different point-of-view than a homicidal maniac.

Speaking as someone who through no fault of his own was just about as strange as Joshua in this movie, I have to say this kid actor really got the part perfect. Even as a child younger than Joshua, I used to wonder how adults could seriously believe I and those my age were somehow "innocent", how easily they could all be "played" against one another if that's what you felt like doing.I grew up somewhere along the way, and while it wasn't for lack of trying, I managed to make it without killing anyone. The kid I was - the kid Joshua is in the movie - is one of the primary reasons I'm too terrified to have kids. Seriously - when you get a smart one like that with a chip on his shoulder, it's just not safe.If you want a reason to avoid parenthood, this is a good movie to watch. If you ever wondered just how sadistic and malicious a little kid can be, and how truly dangerous, this movie is spot-on. Oh sure, most kids could never be like Joshua, but then Joshua - and I - were never like "most kids". Seriously.The pace is rather slow and it takes awhile before you really get to see Joshua for what he is, but once it gets there & Joshua begins taking off the kid gloves, and especially after the park beating with his father and you see them packing his things away, you realize just how terrified his parents should have been all along. Pay attention to the things they pack away, very closely. The creepy thing is how sickeningly sweet Joshua plays his role the entire time, even after you've figured him all out. He's not so blatant about his hostility, you can only really tell what he really feels by what he does, not by how he acts or what he says.Definitely recommended for those who like "spawn of Satan" type "evil kid" flicks, though only if you don't mind a slightly slow pace and not all that much gore or actual brutality.

I watched the whole movie, waiting and waiting for something to actually happen. Maybe it's my fault for expecting evil and horror instead of psychology? Is it a weird re-telling of the Oedipal myth: I want to kill my father and mother and marry my uncle and compose musical theater with him? I didn't understand why certain plot elements were even present: why was the construction upstairs, why was there that big stairwell with a perfect spot for someone to fall to their doom if no one was actually going to do so, why have the scenes at all with the father at work, why have such a nice kitchen if you're only going to eat takeout, why would the boy want to be baptized and the parents be the ones to resist instead of the other way around. I see lots of good reviews for this movie...has my taste been corrupted by going up with 70s b-movies and old sci fi flicks?