FrightFest

A film of two halves, neither of them all that pleasing.
As the jealous older child, Joshua is a bit too precocious a child prodigy. This could have been much scarier with a normal child.
Besides the fact that they told us they loved each other, I dunno why the parents were together. And how they ended up with a brainy kid. I usually like Sam Rockwell, but he seemed a bit Carrey Lite in this.
Once Joshua's evil plot is expossed it becomes like "what if Michael Keaton in Pacific Heights was their son?"
And "it's a text book case of child abuse" made me laugh in it's lack of basis in the real world (lest we forget, Daddy has video evidence !") The ending was remeniscent of an old school film like Entertaining Mr Sloane or Harold and Maude. Beats Shrooms for current last place in my list - on account of Shrooms not really taking itself this seriously.

Pretty good - it managed to stay ambiguous for long enough to have various alternative explanations start to float around, which is fun.

On the down side, the end doesn't really work - having pretty much explained the situation to his uncle, one can't really see their relationship working out. And he should be smart enough to know that... the motivations needed to be explained to the audience, not the uncle.

7/10

Thought this film was OK, I particularly liked the fact that at the end, I couldn't say I was 100% sure that Joshua was actually evil, or if it was all just made to look that way. Anyone else feel that way?

I had hoped for something a little more to happen , but having said that this was so subtle and ambigous it made a refreshing change from the norm.

Better than I thought it would be, but I would have liked a proper ending. It just felt like it needed more.

I loved the scenes when the dad and Joshua are alone in the flat (and the baby too) and the dad knows what Joshua's been up to.

Does anyone reckon the dad had been beating Joshua? I don't.

couldn't get on with this at all found it way too long and dull

Rather enjoyed this one. The boy Joshua I found rather unsettling almost like the brother of Damian! True about the points about Joshua about if he was evil or not. Liked the ambiguity. One that keeps you thinking.....

had a very odd feel to it...did make me think...mmmmmm...things are never quite what they seem and the scene in the park did creap me out alittle and yes the kid was played perfectly..enjoyd it

Enjoyed this one - a bit slow moving but subtly done. A very creepy little kid, all that lets give teddy and the guinea pig a good passage to the afterlife ala the Egyptians - watch out Uncle Ned.

lupogirl wrote:Rather enjoyed this one. The boy Joshua I found rather unsettling almost like the brother of Damian! True about the points about Joshua about if he was evil or not. Liked the ambiguity. One that keeps you thinking.....

I agree

good movie

Was really surprised by this - one of the best of the festival - a strong story which keeps you guessing and superb performances by the two main characters of Joshua and his father

It was certainly a bit different, but I wasn't keen on this... never quite gelled for me.

It was allright, but, dare i say it, a tad boring...

Had a few logic flaws in the story also, but it did finish on a high (low) note...

Probably put me off having kids for life...

I enjoyed this a lot while watching, although it didn't really stay with me afterwards for long. I thought Sam Rockwell's character was very good as the father who slowly realises what's going on, and the grandmother who got Joshua to 'find God' was perfectly drawn.