Little Joe (2019) is a British-Austrian science-fiction film, with a slight dosage of horror and psychothriller, about a scientist who creates a genetically modified plant which seemingly causes uncanny changes in other living creatures. The movie was selected to compete for the Palme d’Or at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival.
The plot of Little Joe (2019) centers Alice, a single mother, who is a dedicated senior plant breeder at a corporation engaged in developing new species. She has engineered a very special crimson flower, remarkable not only for its beauty but also for its therapeutic value: if kept at the ideal temperature, fed properly and spoken to regularly, this plant makes its owner happy. Against company policy, Alice takes one home as a gift for her teenage son, Joe. They christen it ‘Little Joe‘ but as it grows, so too does Alice’s suspicion that her new creations may not be as harmless as their nickname suggests.
The movie has been directed by Jessica Hausner, an awards-winner Austria-born filmmaker better known for drama Lourdes (2009) and horror mystery Hotel (2004). Hausner has also been co-writer of the screenplay together with her frequent collaborator Géraldine Bajard.
The duo star in Little Joe (2019) is formed by Emily Beecham, who won Best Actress at Cannes 2019 for this film, and Golden Globe winner Ben Whishaw, known for his appearances in Cloud Atlas (2012), Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (2006), and being the new Q in the latest James Bond – 007 movies. Together with them, Kerry Fox, Kit Connor, Phénix Brossard, Leanne Best, Andrew Rajan, David Wilmot, Goran Kostic, Yana Yanezic and Sebastian Hülk complete the main cast.
Little Joe (2019) has had an extended international festivals run this year since its world premiere at Cannes Film Festival, including Shanghai International Film Festival, Jerusalem Film Festival, Fantasy Filmfest, Strasbourg European Fantastic Film Festival, Vancouver International Film Festival, London Film Festival, Busan International Film Festival, and Mumbai Film Festival. Now, the movie is ready for its theatrical release, being scheduled to come out on the 1st of November in Austria, 13th of November in France, 6th of December in the USA, 9th of January in Germany, and 21st of February in the UK. Here you can watch the first trailer of the movie:
