Little Joe

Released Dec 6, 2019

1 hr. 45 min.

Horror

Sci-Fi

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List

67%

128 Reviews

Tomatometer

40%

100+ Ratings

Audience Score

A plant created via genetic engineering appears to produce curious changes in the people and animals it comes into contact with.

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Critics Consensus

Little Joe's unorthodox approach may baffle horror fans lured in by its premise -- but like its title character, the end result exerts a creepy thrall.

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Dave

There's something not quite right about this film. I think it's trying to capture the creepiness of old TV series like 'Chocky' or 'Children of the Stones', but the production values are too high to make it work. The normally great actors were clearly given a directive line to be a bit stiff throughout, presumably to increase the uncertainty about whether the plants are affecting people or not—a brave strategy that unfortunately doesn't pay off.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

04/02/24

Full Review

ana e

Its supposed to be horror? I thought it was an arthouse or student movie. There is really only 20 minutes of plot stretched out over 2 hours. The music and sound is particularly bad. If you can't stand overbearing music, don't watch this movie. It has a lot of Japanese-y music for some unknown reason - shakuhachi and similar. Its either so quiet you can't hear anything, or so ridiculously loud you'll need to turn it down. I like Japanese music, but this was a lousy use of it.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

02/18/24

Full Review

matilda m

This movie was one of the most boring movies I've ever watched, they spent all their money on the aesthetic and nun on the plot. I've never been so upset that I watched a movie in my life

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

02/03/24

Full Review

Helen N

Leisurely, but gorgeous, and ultimately deeply chilling. This film rewards a patient viewer who, while the story builds, may enjoy the sheer aesthetics of it. A full star off for a repeated feedback-whine sound effect however. The sensitive of ears will have to mute it sometimes.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/31/24

Full Review

Peter W

Overall, while Little Joe delivers a familiar story, I found myself quite curious and invested in its plot. There are some pleasant moments of tension and storytelling on screen. Performances here are excellent, with a filming style to complement them. However, I was somewhat disappointed by the film's final moments, which felt slow and relatively weak. The musical score is also questionable and, at times, unfitting. This film may not suit everyone's taste or style.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

04/29/23

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Audience Member

I really loved the story, the acting of the main character and totally loved the color grading of the movie. Greetings.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

01/16/23

Full Review

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Jessica Hausner

Director

Emily Beecham

Alice

Ben Whishaw

Chris

Kit Connor

Joe

Kerry Fox

Bella

David Wilmot

Karl

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Little Joe: Trailer 1

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Kevin Maher

Times (UK)

This agonisingly slow pseudo sci-fi has camera moves, performances and lines of dialogue that. Seem. To. Take. An. Eternity. To. Deliver. Without. Much. Impact. Or. Dramatic. Pay Off.

Rated: 2/5

Feb 24, 2020

Full Review

Charlotte O'Sullivan

London Evening Standard

It's a little film. But it's epic.

Rated: 4/5

Feb 24, 2020

Full Review

Mark Kermode

Observer (UK)

For some, Little Joe may seem too sterile to engage emotionally, but I found it glassily unsettling - even more so on second viewing. Inhale at your peril.

Rated: 4/5

Feb 23, 2020

Full Review

Agustín Acevedo Kanopa

La Diaria

Little Joe isn't emotional or even tacky enough in its convictions and twists to be fun —like a lot of B-movie sci-fi movies—nor is it as elevated and complex as Upstream Color (Shane Carruth, 2013)

Rated: 5/10

Feb 27, 2023

Full Review

Brian T. Carney

Washington Blade

Little Joe is a sleek and stylish rethinking of the “pod” movies like Invasion of the Body Snatchers.

Dec 7, 2022

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Marcelo Stiletano

La Nación (Argentina)

Hausner isn't Cronenberg: Instead of committing to the human impact of a perturbing situation, she chooses an aseptic frame, convinced that it's possible to impose the coordinates of a scientific experiment onto a film. [Full review in Spanish]

Rated: 2/5

Nov 3, 2022

Full Review

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Synopsis

A plant created via genetic engineering appears to produce curious changes in the people and animals it comes into contact with.

Director: Jessica Hausner
Screenwriter: Jessica Hausner, Géraldine Bajard
Distributor: Magnolia Pictures
Production Co: Coop99 Filmproduktion
Genre: Horror, Sci-Fi
Original Language: English (United Kingdom)
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 6, 2019, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 6, 2019
Box Office (Gross USA): $23.3K
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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