Review for JOSHUA By Slice Rating: 4.5/5 A movie hasn’t made me think this hard about the horrors of parenting since “Problem Child.” I really didn’t know what to expect walking into “Joshua” other than rumblings comparing it to “The Omen.” While you could easily say that the two films are related stylistically, and of course there’s both evil children involved, “Joshua” trades in the supernatural element for intricate mind games that allow a certain child to cause almost the same level of pain as Damien, but as a human! Writer/Director George Ratliff’s film, co-written by David Gilbert, is easily one of the classiest, well-crafted horror films since the era that spawned such classics as “The Omen”, “Rosemary’s Baby” and “The Shining”. It opens with Brad (Sam Rockwell) and Abby (Vera Farmiga) Cairn welcoming their newborn daughter to the world. They bring the baby home to their exquisite New York apartment and as if Brad’s parents religious pressures weren’t enough stress to deal with, the baby starts having intense screaming fits for days at a time and their 10 year old son Joshua seemingly keeps becoming stranger and stranger. From here, everything continues to escalate and get direr for the Cairns as their dreams of being a normal family slide down the drain. While this might sound vague, this is one of those movies where it especially helps to not know much going in. To be fair, “Joshua” is more of a thriller than a horror film by today’s standards but it’s just as worthy of inclusion in the “scary movies” genre as its ‘60’s and ‘70’s distant cousins. If you’re looking for a mile-a-minute blood and guts flick, this isn’t your movie; to some, “Joshua” might come off as slow, but in the eyes of this reviewer, the slow burn of it’s terror makes it that much more chilling. You really don’t know how far “Joshua” will go, and while there are allusions to things getting brutal, such as Joshua’s infatuation with the Egyptians and the mummification process, the guessing game is all the more interesting. The beautiful cinematography and brilliant sound design no doubt add to the quality of the picture, but the real strength lies in the performances. “Joshua” is after all a character-driven family drama hinging on the dark side. Vera Farmiga once again shines as Abby. As a viewer you don’t know whether to think she’s just crazy or if you really just want to sympathize for her in this situation that seems more and more impossible to win by the second. I’ve been a Sam Rockwell fan for some time and in “Joshua” he’s just as good at providing some much needed comic relief as he is at taking the tension to the next level. The real standout is, wait for it, Jacob Kogan as Joshua. I’m sure he’s quite nice in real life, but from the first frame of this film he’s pretty horrifying in the “wow there’s something really off about that kid” type of sense. Like the film itself, Kogan seems to take cues from the demonic children characters before them and then meld them into his own unique monster. While pretty great, “Joshua” isn’t without its missteps. For such an intelligent film, the filmmakers seem to rely on the cheap scare of Joshua popping up behind one of his parents a few times too many and it feels out of place here. The ending is also sure to breed some unhappy campers. Regarding the conclusion, the filmmakers might not have taken the viewer to the breaking point, but right at the edge of it. It ends up being pretty unnerving, but you can’t help but feel like it’s maybe missing a scene or two that take the madness even further. Even with these slips, “Joshua” is an elegant thriller that stays unique while at the same time respecting its elders in the best way. Plus if you want to teach abstinence or emphasize the responsibilities of parenting on impressionable minds, here’s your movie.