Rent Little Joe (2019)

Disappointing - Little Joe review by GI

A quasi science fiction tale with a hint of horror that never really pushes itself to any satisfactory conclusion. Emily Beecham plays Alice, a geneticist at a research company, she and her team are developing a plant that has a scent designed to increase happiness in people. They nickname the plant Little Joe. But one of the team, the neurotic Bella (Kerry Fox) is convinced that the plant has altered the behaviour of her dog (which bizarrely she is allowed to take to work) and is also subtly affecting people. Alice has given one of the plants to her young son and she begins to believe he has started to exhibit personality changes too. The trouble is that's about it. The build up is good and there's a creepiness to the gradual alteration in the people connected with the plant and in the plant itself as it subtly moves when people are around but the narrative never does anything else. There's some obvious links here to Invasion Of the Bodysnatchers (1956 & 1978) and Village of The Damned (1960) but the film never gets into a stride and the conclusion is a just a massive disappointment. This has promise but it didn't live up to the build up.

Dreadful - Little Joe review by JM

Sorry, but this was a dreadful film! I don't as a rule review films but feel the need to on this occasion. The plot was thin, the acting poor and the whole thing just became more and more painful as it went on. Maybe I'm missing something?

Arthouse Bodysnatchers - Little Joe review by AER

Cool rethink of Invasion of the Bodysnatchers without the gooey SFX. A woman designs a plant that releases a pathogen to make us feel happier. The plant gets smart and evolves to ensure that humans keep them alive (because they cannot replicate organically). It's quite chilling and well-acted, but like those infected by Little Joe, something wasn't quite right. Did the plant just alter personalities to make people happier as was the design, or was everything all in the mind of the characters? Who knows? A film that keeps you at arm's length by design or by mistake, you decide. I'm on the fence.

5 out of 10

Awful,tedious,predictable - Little Joe review by PB

It could have been developed into a good film from an interesting idea. Ben Whishaw  is one of my favourite actors - what were you doing Ben appearing in this rubbish. One of the worst films I’ve seen in a long time.

Am I missing something ?? - Little Joe review by MF

An interesting idea that fails to fulfill it's potential. Very low key, slowly paced and visually basic, it's worrying when the best performance in the film comes from a plant. It could have been a very distrubing film but it's just "Meh". Don't expect too much in terms of acting, directing, suspense, drama or surprises and you may enjoy it.

Entertaining, fun, UK-Austrian film about plants taking over humans - Little Joe review by PV

I enjoyed this - and anything with the WONDERFUL Ben Wishaw in is worth watching! Also Kit Connor, rising boy star.

A rather odd British-Austrian coproduction. A weird intrusive soundtrack. A bit arty but still a 3 act story even though the last act drags a bit.

reminds me of the great British pandemic zombie movie THE GIRL WITH ALL THE GIFTS or even the 1976 Dr Who classic THE SEEDS OF DOOM with man-eating plants with Tom Baker as the doctor and Sarah Jane. And of course DAY OF THE TRIFFIDS and many zombie movies, The Blob too etc.

I liked it, though realising its limitations.. A bit silly but hey, so is all scifi and most Hollywood movies.

And I liked the flower design too. Could have done without the therapist though and the smug Cherie-Blair-like woman mother character who lives in a £3 million house working as a basic scientist, YEAH RIGHT. That annoyed me about Paddington too (maybe wealth follows Ben Wishaw around eh? Paddington books are set in a standard suburban semi). Disliked the smug poshery of it all.

3.5 stars roundedup. I almost rounded it down BUT for Ben Wishaw, it gets rounded up.

An interesting premise that just didn't work - Little Joe review by TB

The roll call of actors brought me here. Kerry Fox always chooses bold work and Ben Whishaw is also excellent in what I've seen him in.

But this film just doesn't work, as much as I'd like it to and wanted it to as a small film production. It is unbelievably slow, the idea isn't that strong and there wasn't much to keep me watching, so much so that I switched off after 40 minutes.

There were a couple of intriguing scenes, hence 2 stars, but sadly not worthy of the talents of those involved.