There are some things that a child simply shouldn’t see, because not only will they be unable to understand what happened, but it could change them forever. That’s at the heart of Beth de Araújo’s film, Josephine, which won Sundance’s Grand Jury and Audience Awards earlier this year.
Josephine stars newcomer Mason Lily Reeves in an extraordinary performance as Josephine, an eight-year-old girl who witnesses a shocking assault while at the park with her father. The film isn’t about how her parents deal with what happened; it really puts the focus on Josephine as she struggles to understand what she saw.
But, how can the unexplainable be explained to a child? That’s the struggle faced by Josephine’s parents, played by Channing Tatum and Gemma Chan. They have very different ideas on how to raise their child. As Josephine starts acting out and asking questions they aren’t prepared to answer, their family is pushed to the brink of collapse.
I don’t want to give away too much, but I’ll say that this film had the audience shook, myself included. There’s just something so painful about the way Araújo puts us right in Josephine’s shoes, forcing us to feel the child’s fear, confusion, and anger. You can check out my review here.
Also starring Philip Ettinger, Syra McCarthy, Eleanore Pienta, and Michael Angelo Covino, Josephine will open in theaters on November 20th from Sumerian Pictures.
