Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- eerie
- oppressive
- sardonic
- late night horror viewing
- psychological thriller marathon
What critics said
Critics generally found the film intelligently crafted and suspenseful, praising its psychological buildup and child performance while faulting its formulaic and predictable plotting.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Joshua's jealousy transforms the Cairn family's home, parenting routines, and sibling relationship into sites of escalating terror.
Joshua's exceptional musical and intellectual abilities become part of his alienating presence and his manipulation of adults around him.
Joshua's formal clothing, controlled demeanor, sleeplessness, and reactions to the newborn establish menace before the family recognizes it.
The Cairns' apparently harmonious family setting becomes an enclosed pressure chamber as attention shifts toward Lily and Joshua's resentment intensifies.
Films like Joshua, and why
The Good Son
psychological family horror, child-centered menace, and Hitchcockian suspense
The Omen
domestic paranoia, unsettling children, and slow-building psychological dread
We Need to Talk About Kevin
stylized psychological thriller atmosphere, family dysfunction, and disturbing ambiguity
Movie Details
- Director
- George Ratliff
- Release Date
- 2007-01-21
- Runtime
- 105 min
- Rating
- 5.6 / 10 (298)
Cast
- Sam Rockwell
- Vera Farmiga
- Jacob Kogan
- Celia Weston
- Dallas Roberts
- Michael McKean
- Randy Ryan
- Nancy Giles
- Linda Larkin
- Alex Draper
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Joshua about?
- A gifted nine-year-old turns his parents’ joy over a new baby into a calculated campaign of domestic terror.
- What is Joshua like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Joshua as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Joshua violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Joshua as moderate.
- What did critics think of Joshua?
- Critics generally found the film intelligently crafted and suspenseful, praising its psychological buildup and child performance while faulting its formulaic and predictable plotting.
- Which films are like Joshua?
- Films with a similar feel include The Good Son, The Omen, and We Need to Talk About Kevin.
- How long is Joshua?
- Joshua runs 105 minutes.
- Where can I watch Joshua?
- In United States, Joshua streams on Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads.
