Dreamy Ben Whishaw is vanity-free, so deliciously creepy as Uriah Heep in The Personal History of David Copperfield and can be seen skulking on the sidelines once again in this elliptical drama about a demon plant.
His droopy scientist Chris lusts after co-worker Alice (Emily Beecham; sublime) and he’ll do anything to protect the revolutionary flower she’s just bred. Alice’s creation is called “Little Joe” after her teenage son and works like a virus (it infects people with happiness). Alice doesn’t want to be in a relationship with Chris. But might “Little Joe” change her mind?
Cult Austrian director Jessica Hausner (making her English-language debut) is riffing off horror classics like Frankenstein and Rosemary’s Baby. In terms of stylistics, though, she’s indebted to the work of Yorgos Lanthimos. Her characters talk in an ever-so-slightly robotic way, while the sets, costumes and soundtrack work over-time to put us on edge.
Be warned, it’s not scary and there’s no cathartic climax. A driven single mum, Alice starts out spacey. She’s a fraction more so as the credits roll (this film should really be called Numb And Number). Nevertheless, what happens to her and Joe (Kit Connor) is both emotionally devastating and bizarrely funny.
Whether you’re groping for all-consuming bliss via work, children, pets, anti-depressants, therapy, OCD rituals or late-night chats with Alexa, the film will force you to take stock. Timeless, topical, Little Joe was made for nuppence. It’s a little film. But it’s epic.
