2007 / 106m - USA
Thriller
2.5*/5.0*
Joshua poster

Watches

May 16, 2021

2.5*/5.0*

Props to Jacob Kogan. There's no lack of "evil kid" thrillers out there, but few of them are actually effective, usually because the kid fails to be sufficiently creepy and/or menacing. Kogan on the other hand is pretty hard to read, which makes his character all the more devious and intriguing.

The Cairn family are welcoming a new member of the family. While all the attention goes to Lily, Joshua feels neglected by his parents. He also doesn't fit in at school and starts behaving more oddly. His parent hardly notice though as Lily won't stop crying, which is driving them both insane.

Performances are solid and the duality of Joshua's character is fun, but that's where the positives end. The drama is a bit overdone, the pacing's a little too slow and the film should've been darker. It's a decent watch with a handful of memorable moments, but in the end it felt a bit flat and uninspired.