Joshua (2006)

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

The movie is wonderful and true, an act of love in all its contradictions and complexity

This is a gorgeous movie made by a gorgeous spirit.

The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

Joshua is a rare treat for horror flick fans such as myself. Here is a film that exceeds any expectation I had for it, and was truly disturbing in every sense of the word. I can't give away too much of the plot, because the twists are what make this film disturbing. In a nutshell, it is about a man who decides to go back to his hometown for a funeral, accompanied by his girlfriend. Needless to say, his family is pretty strange (a nymph sister who has sex with family members) and his friends are not much better (a serial killer who slaughters women he picks up in bars). It doesn't take long before things get a little fishy and creepy and we realize that something is definitely up. Kelby (the main character) seems to have something in his past that is pretty bad, as his serial-killer friend begins pressuring him to "not forget about what we did." And it is what the two boys did when they were younger that will truly shocken and disgust anyone with a conscience and sense of morals. I wouldn't have seen the plot twists coming a mile away, and the last 5 minutes of this film are more disturbing that anything I have seen in quite sometime.It's apparent why this film never made it to theaters: its low budget. But let me assure you that this film is more disturbing and original than any horror flick that has been put into theaters in awhile. Keep an open mind when watching it, and remember that it is a low budget DTV film. The pace is a little slow at the beginning, but the last half hour are exceptionally. If you are a fan of horror, pick this little gem up and enjoy. 9 out of 10

This is one of the most psychologically disturbing movie I've seen. If you're only into FX like sbarshow whose mental faculty does not allow an iota of imagination and cannot comprehend even a slightly complicated plot line, sure, then forget watching this movie. However, if you want to explore the dark side of your own psyche and meet the demons in the far recesses of your own mind, I highly recommend it.It's a travesty that IMDb's first-come-first-served policy will deter many people from watching this movie because of an inbred degenerate like sbarshow claimed his/her "rightful" place through the sheer luck of being the first one to post his/her comment. I usually don't do ad hominem attacks but this time it's appropriate.

First off - JOSHUA is not a great film in the "traditional" sense. The acting is pretty weak, the make-up and gore FX (when used) were not very believable, and it's all-around a painfully obvious low-budget film. That said - what made JOSHUA a stand out film to me was the story - period. The storyline (though lacking in a few areas) is twisted and original, and I can't say that from a lot of the crap that is out there currently...Kelby, with fiancée in tow, reluctantly comes back to his hometown after the death of his father, who was in prison for murder. It's alluded to that Pops was a child murderer/possibly molester, but it's never made very clear. Back in town, Kelby is confronted by two former friends - and it's obvious that the three share a dark secret dating back to their childhood. As the film goes on, the audience is let in on the group's nasty secret and it becomes VERY apparent why Kelby was not too thrilled about his little "homecoming". Exactly WHAT the "revelation" is, I leave you to find out, as it's a good one and I'd hate to ruin it for a first-time viewer...JOSHUA is another film where the "whole" is much better than it's individual parts. Again, the acting is mediocre at best from most involved (though not bad enough to ruin the film), and the way the film is directed often draws unneeded attention to the fact that it is a very low budget feature. There's little gore and no nudity (which are typically prerequisites for me enjoying a film...) - but again, the originality and dark nature of the storyline and concept are enough to carry this one. I do feel that it could have been pulled off better with more emphasis being put on the group's "secret" - unfortunately, very little actual screen-time was allotted for this. I would have liked to see more of the "development" of this aspect. Regardless, definitely recommended for those that dig more twisted and "disturbing" subject matter and would like to see something different. JOSHUA is the type of film that is helping to restore my faith in low-budget horror...8.5/10

I was very pleasantly surprised by this little gem. I was expecting another super low budget attempt at horror with a camcorder in place and fake blood splattered against the wall every 5 minutes. Not at all what i got. Instead, I watched a very creepy little film, with a very interesting, and for once original (aside from the resemblance to Frankenstein)indie film. On a technical level, the film was shot well, very different, and interesting camera choices, but only once or twice do those odd choices detract from the film. The special effects are decent enough (the face ripping scenes were achieved very nicely) but the make-up on our stories heroine was a bit too "make-upy". I couldn't quite understand how this guy could make a small girl look like that in a realistic mannor, but thats the only failing. A more naturalistic approach to her look may have been more believable. The skin suit as well was a bit cheesy looking, but again, it never detracted from the film. All in all, I picked this one up for some entertaining background noise, but wound up rather immersed in the movie. A very nice surprise, and I highly recommend it to any and all genre fans out there!