Whenever I go to Sundance, I always put together a list of films I want to check out, but more often than not, that list changes once I arrive in Park City. As I walk around and stand in line, I tend to listen to fellow festivalgoers or have conversations with colleagues about what they are most excited to see or which titles are generating a sizable amount of buzz. While Josephine was already on my radar, I will admit it was not nearly as high on my priority list as it should have been. That said, I am fortunate to have a few people I consider true festival junkies, the kind who will text me and say, “Scott, this is one you absolutely have to see.” I do not always end up loving their recommendations, but I always make the time to see them. This year, one of those people insisted that I had to see Josephine, and they could not have been more right.
It will be hard to top Josephine as the film of Sundance 2026. This is a film that will stay with the viewer long after the credits roll, haunting in a way that feels deeply personal and profoundly unsettling. The story explores every parent’s worst nightmare, making it impossible to shake. Following the film’s World Premiere, writer-director Beth de Araújo shared during the Q&A that the idea for the film stemmed from a personal experience. You can feel that truth in every frame. While it remains unclear whether the events depicted in Josephine directly mirror what de Araújo went through, there is no denying that this is an artist who uses cinema to process and creatively share her trauma with the world.
Within the film’s first ten minutes, the audience witnesses something no eight-year-old child should ever have to see. While out doing her morning exercise with her father, Damien (Channing Tatum), Josephine hears a young woman screaming in the woods. It is not long before the source of those screams becomes clear, as a man appears and begins choking the woman, forcing her to the ground. If witnessing that violence unfold is not traumatic enough, Josephine remains hidden behind a tree, watching helplessly as the woman is assaulted with no one around to step in and help. This horrific event becomes the emotional core of the film, as de Araújo explores how this traumatic event has impacted and changed the lives of Josephine and her family.
The way de Araújo chooses to explore the aftermath of this tragic event is what makes the film so incredibly effective. As Josephine struggles to process what she has witnessed, her parents, Damien and Claire, are also trying to determine the best way to handle the situation. They have very different perspectives on how to help Josephine cope and move forward, which leads to several heated debates and emotionally charged arguments. These moments only further complicate matters for Josephine, who develops a newfound and entirely understandable fear of men.
See Also: Sundance 2026 Review: ‘Paralyzed by Hope: The Maria Bamford Story’ Is a Heartfelt and Hilarious Exploration of Mental Health
In one of the film’s most harrowing scenes, which occurs in the film’s second act, Damien and Claire are making love when Josephine hears her mother moaning and screaming. Believing her mother is in danger, Josephine bursts into the room, screaming and hitting her father, demanding that he get off of her. In that moment, Damien and Claire are forced into an uncomfortable but necessary conversation with their daughter about consent and the difference between sex and rape. It is a deeply powerful scene, made all the more unsettling by the fact that it is a conversation no eight-year-old should ever have to endure.
While the scenes of the family struggling to figure out how to move forward are heartbreaking to watch, the moments that linger most are those in which Josephine is alone with her thoughts, attempting to make sense of what has happened on her own. There are several scenes in which Josephine sits alone in her room at night, and the rapist appears alongside her, often seated on the floor or at the side of her bed. These moments are deeply unsettling, but they speak volumes, pulling the viewer directly into Josephine’s mind and illustrating how his presence haunts her.
I was also fascinated by an early scene in which Josephine uses her mother’s phone to search the word “rape.” It is a devastating moment that marks a sudden and tragic loss of innocence, not one that should have occurred naturally with time, but instead is brutally forced upon her.
This all builds up to the film’s devastating final act, in which Josephine is forced to take the stand as the sole witness to the crime. I have seen thousands of courtroom scenes across film and television in my lifetime, many of which are designed to be the moment you’ve been waiting for, but the one in Josephine takes that concept to an entirely new level. I am still struggling to articulate just how upsetting it is fully. Watching an eight-year-old girl be questioned under oath about whether she witnessed a rape is beyond devastating and impossible to fully process. This scenario is only made worse by the fact that the opposing attorney keeps aggressively suggesting that Josephine did not understand what she saw, even going so far as to ask why she did not try to help. The lack of compassion that occurred in the line of questioning ignited such a visceral rage in me that I audibly said “what the fuck” out loud in the theater.
Josephine is a film that feels nearly flawless in its execution. It is perfectly paced, brilliantly written and acted, and directed with a level of passion and emotional honesty that is impossible to ignore. Unflinching and deeply unsettling, the film features career-best performances from Channing Tatum and Gemma Chan, alongside a breathtaking turn from newcomer Mason Reeves, who will leave audiences speechless. Josephine is not an easy watch by any means, but it is undeniably powerful, haunting, and unforgettable. It may only be January, but as is often the case with Sundance, I am confident that Josephine will ultimately stand as one of the very best films of 2026.
Scott Menzel’s rating for Josephine is a 9 out of 10.
