Josie (film)


Josie is a 2018 American thriller film directed by Eric England and written by Anthony Ragnone II. The film stars Sophie Turner as the titular character, a mysterious high school student who transfers to the Southern town of Baymont, where she draws the attention of local recluse Hank. The film also stars Jack Kilmer, Micah Fitzgerald, Lombardo Boyar, Daeg Faerch, Robin Bartlett, and Kurt Fuller. Josie premiered at Mammoth Film Festival on February 8, 2018, and was released in the United States by Screen Media Films on March 16, 2018.

Cast

Production

Anthony Magnone II's original script for the film, then titled Huntsville, was voted to the 2014 Black List, a list of the year's most popular unproduced screenplays. During the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2015, the Coalition Group announced the beginning of development for the film with the casting of Shea Whigham as Hank and Anya Taylor-Joy as Josie. By August 2016, Whigham and Taylor-Joy had been replaced with Dylan McDermott and Sophie Turner, respectively, and Jack Kilmer was also added to the cast. Filming began that same month in Los Angeles. The film's title was changed from Huntsville to Josie ahead of its premiere at the Mammoth Film Festival. The film's North American distribution rights were acquired by Screen Media Films in January 2018, also ahead of its premiere, with international distribution being acquired by Lightning Entertainment.

Release

Josie premiered as the opening film of the inaugural Mammoth Film Festival on February 8, 2018. The film received a simultaneous release on March 16, 2018, with a limited theatrical run and video on demand releases.

Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes the film has an approval rating of 13% based on reviews from 8 critics, with an average rating of 4.39/10. On Metacritic, it has a weighted average score of 31 out of 100, based on reviews from 6 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews".
Sheri Linden of The Hollywood Reporter wrote: "At various moments throughout the movie, Turner and McDermott suggest something far more complicated and messy than the noir-tinged exercise that unfolds."
Nick Schager of Variety magazine criticizes the film, writing that it: "spends so much time trying to resemble a film noir that its refusal to engage in actual film noir business proves downright exasperating, a situation compounded by the eventual revelations it has in store."