Josephine Review: An All-Time Great Child Performance Powers Haunting Portrait Of Childhood Trauma [TIFF]

A stunningly accurate portrayal of the effects of trauma on children, Beth de Araújo's Josephine is unsettling, challenging, and deeply moving. Published Sep 14, 2026, 9:02 AM EDT George is a film critic and journalist with over nine years of experience in the entertainment industry. Beginning as the Co-Creator and Co-Editor of Star Wars Holocron, the most followed Star Wars fan account on Twitter/X, George went on to develop The HoloFiles, a movie and television-focused website with his brother and writing partner Josh. A member of the Hollywood Creative Alliance, Chicago Indie Critics, Online Film and Television Association, and the Internet Film Critic Society, George has covered major industry events as credentialed media, including D23, CinemaCon, SXSW, Fantastic Fest, Star Wars Celebration, Tribeca Festival, and more. He also regularly writes reviews and contributes articles to ScreenAnarchy, BRWC, Film Obsessive, TV Obsessive, and Under the Radar. George's work has been featured in various esteemed publications, including the BBC, Associated Press, Forbes, and The New York Times. In addition to regularly reviewing movies and working as a media journalist, I hold a Ph.D. in clinical psychology, and specialize in treating post-traumatic stress disorder in patients across the lifespan. I don’t usually write reviews from a first-person perspective, nor do I address this other side of my career in such a setting, but Josephine, a new drama screening at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, warrants both. Seldom has there been a film in recent years to so accurately capture the insidious, tormenting, and often subtle ways in which the aftermath of traumatic events encroaches upon every corner of life for children unfortunately exposed to horrors far beyond their years. From writer-director Beth de Araújo, Josephine follows an eight-year-old of the same name (Mason Reeves), who, on a seemingly innocuous outing to the park with her father (Channing Tatum), witnesses a man rape a woman. In the aftermath of the event, Josephine struggles to come to terms with what she saw, while her father and mother (Gemma Chan) grapple with their daughter’s increasingly erratic and unpredictable behavior. Josephine Unsettles With Its Grounded Examination Of Childhood Trauma Make no mistake – Josephine is a profoundly unsettling watch, one that challenges its audience with the uncomfortable realities of sexual violence. And, to make matters even more disturbing, de Araújo does this through the eyes of an innocent eight-year-old, whose entire worldview and sense of security shatters upon observing a senseless act she simply can’t make sense of. Similarly discombobulated are Josephine’s parents, who, understandably, are unequipped to handle the trauma their daughter just witnessed. Josephine’s mother Claire wants to take her daughter to therapy, and to give her the autonomy to opt out of being involved in legal proceedings. Her father Damian, meanwhile, enrolls her in self-defense classes, encourages her to fight back against those who hurt her, and wants her to testify in court in order to stop the rapist from perpetrating again. The philosophical clashes between two well-intentioned and genuinely good parents pose interesting questions for the audience to ponder. If such an event were to occur to your child, would you align more closely with Claire’s parenting style, or Damian’s? ...easily one of the best performances from a child actor this century. De Araújo makes Josephine’s situation all the more devastating by how realistically she portrays the aftermath of the trauma. She doesn’t overdramatize or vilify any of the three main characters. Instead, they are unwittingly fallible, vulnerable, and authentic in the most horrible of situations. Josephine displays an extraordinary understanding of childhood trauma and the myriad ways it manifests. The girl's hypervigilance, quick startle response, mistrust of others, and insular mood are just some of the symptoms of PTSD the film conveys with a realism that will likely be educational for many. Mason Reeves Delivers A Masterclass Performance Beth de Araújo’s unflinching portrait of a childhood trauma further evokes a visceral response thanks to a masterclass performance from young actress Mason Reeves. The newcomer marks her film debut with a quietly mesmerizing portrayal of a girl scarred by what she has seen, yet unable to verbalize or even comprehend how she is feeling. Reeves says very little in the film, instead relying on subtly expressive facial work to convey the anguish and confusion of her character’s mental state. Josephine simply would not work without a performance from a child actor as capable as Reeves. Her powerful turn is easily one of the best performances from a child actor this century. Similarly excellent are Tatum and Chan. Both actors put so much heart into their performances, immersing themselves in the roles of Damian and Claire and making them feel like Josephine’s actual parents. Tatum, in particular, shines; the screenplay affords him more opportunities to interact with Reeves, grapple with his daughter’s behavior, and try to wrap his head around what to do next. Josephine Has The Dread And Stress Of A Great Thriller Although not a thriller in the traditional sense, Josephine packs a nail-biting quality most thrillers could only dream of. A palpable dread mounts as every second of the runtime goes by, given that Josephine is not healing from the trauma but, instead, becoming further entrenched in it. As her behavior becomes more volatile, and she continues to be troubled by posttraumatic hallucinations of the rapist, a terror-inducing stress sets in. The audience has come to care for Josephine so deeply that the steady decline in her mental health only spells trouble for her and everyone around her. Rather than wrap her film up in a tidy bow, Josephine reflects the messiness of real life by not necessarily giving the audience the ending it deserves. This is not to say the conclusion is bleak, per se, but de Araújo goes out of her way not to mislead her viewers, or offer unfounded hope. In approaching the culmination of her film in such a way, she crafts a story that may not satisfy every audience member, but is destined to remain lodged in the hearts and minds of viewers long after the credits roll. Josephine screened at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival. The film releases in US theaters on November 20. Release Date November 20, 2026 Runtime 114 Minutes Director Beth de Araújo Writers Beth de Araújo Producers David Kaplan, Joshua Beirne-Golden, Mark H. Rapaport, Beth de Araújo, Crystine Zhang, Josh Peters, Marina Stabile, Gemma Chan, Channing Tatum Cast