Main cast: Robert Patrick (Josiah Graham), Nick Stahl (Eli Graham), Scott Haze (Thomas Graham), Kelli Garner (Mary Milner), Ronnie Gene Blevins (Billy), Louanne Stephens (Mama Luna), Winston James Francis (Mr Miggs), Jake Weber (Boone), and Tony Hale (Ross Milner)
Director: Vincent Grashaw

While marketed as horror, What Josiah Saw is more akin to a psychological thriller film riddled with unreliable narratives.

In other words, screenwriter Robert Alan Dilts had served up something that he thought was very clever and would get the audience thinking and puzzling things over for days, months, years to come. I guess his lifelong ambition is to be the new M Night Shyamalan or something, although I have no idea why. Surely there are better people to be inspired by? Still, I suppose it could be worse—he may want to be Jordan Peele instead, shudder.

This one basically revolves around the dysfunctional Southern family, the Grahams, that is basically a list of every Southern inbred stereotype one can think of, and yes, every item of the list will be ticked.

Thomas still lives with his father Josiah on their farm, while Thomas’s older siblings, the twins Eli and Mary, have fled the coop after their mother hanged herself.

Eli is a registered sex offender living in a trailer home and on the hit list of the local gangsters because he owes them money that he can’t pay back. Mary is married, but she is depressed and desperately hopes that having a child will save her marriage.

The twins get back together when they get a generous offer for the farm. If they could persuade Thomas and sell the place, the money will naturally be very useful. Only, the sordid past that caused the siblings and their father all kinds of drama llama moments will resurface with full force back at the farm.

Good lord, what happened to Nick Stahl? I have no complaints about that body that is on display quite often, but that face is so full of lines and wrinkles that he looks just a few years younger than Robert Patrick instead of 43 like his PR people claim he is. I know he had some pretty bad addiction issues back in the 2010s, and it looks like the abuse shows up super hard on his face.

Hmm, now I’m reminded of another fellow that had a bad crash with addiction issues. Wes Bentley must have some angels looking after his appearance, because that fellow still looks hot.

Anyway, for Mr Stahl’s sake, I hope he manages to stay clean and sober.

Back to this one, the cast puts on a solid show, with Robert Patrick easily stealing every scene he is in as this terrifying yet magnetic fellow that I know is crazy and should flee from but can’t tear my eyes away from nonetheless.

Also, the movie looks great. The lighting, the set pieces, and the rest all come together to create a moody and low-key terrifying atmosphere that permeates this film from start to finish.

However, there is one big issue that holds back this movie where I am concerned: the movie is all about the twists and turns, to the point that the characters resemble more like pieces on a chessboard instead of people. I don’t really care for these characters because of this, so my reaction to the things the movie throws at me is pretty much a “That’s nice, here’s another embarrassing stereotype ticked off!” kind of nonchalance.

Let’s put it this way: I’m far more intrigued by Mr Stahl’s nude scenes than any of the so-called surprises in the movie.

Still, this one isn’t a bad watch, far from it. I just wish the characters are better developed and less of a “Gotcha!” gimmick, or Mr Stahl gets naked more… actually, I’ll take both of these, thank you.