This review was made possible by Popped attending a Press and Industry screening for Josephine at the 70th London Film Festival.
It’s only at film festivals that you’ll find yourself watching a movie such as Josephine first thing in the morning at 10 am. It’s for sure a movie that’s hard to stomach that early, but the time of day wouldn’t change that reality. Beth de Araújo brings us a film that’s scarily relevant to the news of today, following recent allegations that a woman was sexually assaulted by seven men at Cornell University. It’s a movie that’s needed now more than ever and one that’ll hopefully educate its younger audience who are still unfamiliar with understanding the topic.
What makes Josephine special is that it’s not just another movie about sexual assault. Last year, we had Sorry, Baby, which focused on the aftermath of the SA and how that can affect the life of its victim. This time around, we flip it completely and look at the incident through the eyes of a young 8-year-old girl named Josephine (Mason Reeves). This changes the entire angle of the subject and looks at it through a lens that’s rarely explored in media, but Araújo has realised its importance and made sure to tell this bleak but educational story about protecting our children.
When Josephine witnesses a violent crime in the park, it changes her views on the world, and she begins to act out violently as she deals with the emotional trauma from the event as her parents try to navigate how to protect her and make her feel safe again.
Parenting is Beautiful, Yet Difficult
People say that having a kid is one of the greatest things that life has to offer you. I’m no parent myself, but having a niece and a goddaughter that I get to call my own is special in itself, and I’d do anything to protect them. There’s no correct manual that’s handed out to parents when they have a child, and it’s a lot of just figuring out how to parent your child in a way that works for you as parents but that also benefits your kid.
Children tend to learn very quickly. It’s why you watch what you say when you’re around them. When this heinous crime takes place, Damien (Channing Tatum), her father, tries to act like nothing happened, brushing it off and moving on. Josephine, on the other hand, is an intelligent little girl and, after hearing words like “rape” be used, uses her own initiative to look it up. This leads to her bringing it up at school with friends and asking them if they know what sex is, which can be problematic for the teachers and other parents.
The Effects of Emotional Trauma on a Young Mind
Araújo’s writing is clever, as the story gets to a point where Josephine is given the hard task of preparing to give testimony in court. Her mother, Claire (Gemma Chan), is heavily against this, while Damien thinks it’s best, as it’s the only way that the abuser, Greg (Phillip Ettinger), can be put away. Araújo reminds us consistently throughout the film that despite Josephine going through all of this at once, she’s still a kid at the end of the day. She’s constantly asking what words mean, from “physician” to even asking what “court” is. Her entire world has been changed, and her parents have to quickly adjust to this rapid transition in their lives.
Josephine’s concept of consent doesn’t exist, and it’s disheartening when you begin to see how she treats her father and questions him. It’s a lot for one girl who’s not even 10 yet, but she handles it as best she can. Aside from Josephine being a portrayal of how these actions can have a great effect on our younger children and how we should better prepare them for these unfortunate things in the world, it has a stronger message behind it. The biggest aspect for me which helped the film land with its ending is how the justice system can allow abusers to avoid any real punishment.
Josephine herself questions when Greg is released on bail and becomes scared that even if he goes to jail for the max amount of time, she’ll only be 15, which is not a long time. It’s tragic, but no matter the outcome of whether Greg gets sentenced or whether he goes free, he’ll still remain a free man.
People like Sandra (Syra McCarthy), who was sexually assaulted, and Josephine, who has been emotionally traumatised by the event, will always be affected for the rest of their lives, having to worry constantly and look behind them at all times to make sure that they can walk around on the streets and live their lives feeling safe. It’s not right, and even the news today reflects this as the media and people in power continue to protect abusers over the victims who continue to suffer day in and day out.
Mason Reeves Shines Bright
Josephine soars high with its standout performances. Channing Tatum delivers a career-best performance playing a father who has his daughter’s best interests at heart but fails to have empathy for the other people around him, such as his wife. His performance allows this rift to occasionally appear between the couple. Gemma Chan’s performance is just as powerful and moving, with her sincerity and hidden past truly shifting the course and meaning of the film while handling the severity and sensitivity of the topic on a large scale.
To some surprise, Phillip Ettinger also delivers an exceptional, haunting performance. His presence in Josephine sometimes makes the film switch from a thriller to a full-on horror. He stalks Josephine wherever she goes as she struggles to forget his face. It’s saddening, but Ettinger’s performance really adds a whole new layer to Josephine’s emotional trauma.
The true star of Josephine is the titular character herself, Mason Reeves, who arrives in her feature debut and absolutely knocks it out of the park. She delivers such a nuanced performance that breaks all the layers and pierces into your heart as you go on this emotional, harrowing journey with her. It’s easily the best debut from a child performer of this decade, as Reeves delivers an extraordinary performance that will be remembered for years.
‘Josephine’ Review – Final Thoughts
Josephine is easily one of the best films of the year that I’ll never be able to watch again. Beth de Araújo gives us a brutal reality check that’s as timely as ever. While it’ll be a hard watch for a lot of people, it’s one that’s needed. As harsh as the topic is, Araújo and the rest of the cast handle it with such care that it never feels like it’s pushing boundaries that will offend people. Its biggest selling point is Josephine herself, and Mason Reeves alone makes this a movie that must be watched before the year’s end.
Josephine is set to release in US cinemas on November 20. Check out a trailer below:
