WHAT JOSIAH SAW

"What Josiah Saw is unapologetically brutal, the kind of haunting drama that feels unsettling and dangerous even in its quiet, character-driven moments."

-Brian Tallerico, RogerEbert.com

What Josiah Saw is a 2021 American Southern Gothic horror film directed by Vincent Grashaw. Everyone in town knows about the haunted Graham Farm on Willow Road. You'll hear there's a bad history to it. Josiah and his youngest son, Thomas, are all that remain of this estranged family. But after experiencing terrifying visions from beyond, Josiah decides they must change their ways to right a great wrong. After being away for over two decades, Eli and Mary, Josiah's eldest children, are enticed to sell the property and reunite at the old farmhouse in hopes of closing this haunting chapter of their lives for good. Sins of the past will be paid in full.

SPOILER WARNING

This is one of those movies with a really awesome twist that is worth watching, so if you haven't seen this movie please watch it before reading anymore. its worth the effort

There are certain towns that make you feel like time itself moves slower. small country towns on the verge of being labeled a hamlet, where everybody knows everybody and days roll by like slowly dripping molasses. There are countless examples of these little towns all over Alberta, and i must admit i do have a bit of a soft spot for some good old fashion rural decay. i sure hope you have a similar soft spot for that trope, because this movie feels like wandering through a ghost town, with one handsome boy who is trying a bit to hard to have a country accent.

with its 2 hour run time this movie really has no need to rush, and things are sluggish for most of this movie. There really isn't much action for a good long while, but exploring the relationship between these characters keeps me more than engaged. Is Josiah actually communicating with the dead or is he just manipulating his son like he always has? what happened to the rest of the family? What the fuck is up with the father son masturbation class with special guest pervert Jesus who just likes to watch? is he purposefully torturing his son both psychically and mentally?

and just as your pondering all of those questions, the movie suddenly changes channel to a whole new story with different characters. this movie is actually 3 separate movies rolled into a big olé batch of Texas toast, and i am amazed how effortlessly this movie keeps so many balls in the air. if you are waiting for nasty kills or any kind of big action scenes you will be probably be disappointed, but if you are in the mood for a really effective deep dive into family trauma this will be right up your alley. this is how you make a "elevated horror movie" without making your audience feel dumb, and all the while its damn near bloodless.

this movie is crazy impressive, dark, tense, beautiful, and has one of the best finales i have seen in a long ass time.

10/10