Josie is a 2018 American thriller drama film directed by Eric England and written by Anthony Ragnone II. The film stars Sophie Turner as the titular character, a mysterious high‑school student who transfers to the small Southern town of Baymont, where she becomes involved with local recluse Hank (Dylan McDermott) and other residents. It was released in the United States on March 16, 2018 by Screen Media Films after premiering at the Mammoth Film Festival on February 8, 2018.
Plot
Hank, a former prison guard who now works as a high‑school security officer and lives in a motel, meets Josie when she asks for help moving in. Josie enrolls at the school, pairs with a classmate named Marcus for a project, and begins forming relationships with both Hank and Marcus. As the story unfolds, Hank recounts his traumatic past working at a Texas prison where he assisted in executions; one of the executed inmates was later found innocent, haunting him. Josie reveals that she is the daughter of an innocent man who was executed, and she seeks revenge. The film culminates in Josie killing Hank, after which police arrive and Marcus is framed for the murder.
Cast
- Sophie Turner as Josie
- Dylan McDermott as Hank
- Jack Kilmer as Marcus
- Kurt Fuller as Gordie
- Robin Bartlett as Martha
- Daeg Faerch as Gator
- Lombardo Boyar as Romeo
- Micah Fitzgerald as the Long‑Haired Man
- Additional supporting roles include Jennifer Prediger, Mickey Faerch, and Matthew Gallagher.
Production
The screenplay, originally titled Huntsville, appeared on the 2014 Black List of popular unproduced scripts. Initial casting in 2015 attached Shea Whigham as Hank and Anya Taylor‑Joy as Josie, but by August 2016 both roles were recast with McDermott and Turner, respectively, and filming began in Los Angeles. The title was changed to Josie prior to its festival debut.
Release
Josie opened the inaugural Mammoth Film Festival on February 8, 2018. It received a limited theatrical release and simultaneous video‑on‑demand distribution on March 16, 2018 in the United States. International distribution was handled by Lightning Entertainment.
Reception
Critical response was largely negative. On Rotten Tomatoes the film holds an approval rating of 13 % based on eight reviews, with an average rating of 4.4/10. Metacritic reports a weighted average score of 31 out of 100, indicating “generally unfavorable” reviews. Critics cited the film’s reliance on noir tropes without delivering substantive narrative depth. Sheri Linden of The Hollywood Reporter noted occasional moments of complexity in the performances, while Nick Schager of Variety criticized the film’s failure to engage meaningfully with the noir style it emulated.