Joe

2013 Directed by David Gordon Green

The rough-hewn boss of a lumber crew courts trouble when he steps in to protect the youngest member of his team from an abusive father.

Nicolas Cage Tye Sheridan Ronnie Gene Blevins Sue Rock Heather Kafka Robert Johnson Gary Poulter Adriene Mishler Brenda Isaacs Booth Aaron Spivey-Sorrells Dana Freitag Anna Niemtschk Erin Elizabeth Reed Jon Bonzor Jonny Mars Elbert Hill Jr. Lazaro Solares Lico Reyes Lynette Walden Patrick Arnez Kevin Kinkade

Alternative Titles

Joe: Μια Δυνατή Φιλία, JOE 2014

drama

118 mins More details at IMDb TMDb Report this film

Popular reviews

Review by Eli Hayes ★★★★½ 12

"You pretend to be asleep,
But I know you'd cry if I said the wrong thing."
I said it once and I'll say it again: David Gordon Green is one of the best filmmakers working today. Sure, he's had a couple of duds, but with a filmography under his belt including George Washington (which I still think is his best work to date), All the Real Girls, Undertow, Snow Angels, Pineapple Express (sorry, I love it), Prince Avalanche, and now Joe - which may very well be my second favorite film of his, and that's coming from a big fan of Snow Angels - he's certainly got a more impressive body of work than most other contemporary directors.
I thought…
Review by Harry Ridgway ★★★★ 2

Joe delves deep into the membrane of a town enveloped with gloom. Its populace and locality are stuck in time and to us spectators, this rural settlement is transposable with a hell all inhabitants have been damned to. David Gordon Green's return to dejection is one of pure excellence and what he snares from his actors is beyond extraordinary. Joe is difficult to remain transfixed upon, but once the credits hit, the rewards are profuse.
Exceedingly dark and unrelenting, Gordon Green's vision infuses a juxtaposition of themes into the film. It's incredibly fascinating, but incredibly deplorable. A touching friendship mixed with scenes of domestic sadism that are the epitome of direness. The film always shifts, in mood or character integrity,…
Review by Ryan Francis ★★★★★

I'm not quite sure what to say about this at the moment other than it was even better than I was initially expecting and it was fuckin' awesome seeing Nic Cage be fantastic in a significant role again. Seriously, it brought me great joy seeing him give such a great performance after all the nonsense he's been in for too long. Hopefully he keeps it up and makes some sort of comeback after all these years. He's obviously capable of still bringing that inner good acting ability that dwells somewhere in the deep depths of his crazy soul, which I think was most prominently showcased in films such as Leaving Las Vegas (1995) and Adaptation. (2002) - of course among…
Review by Naughty aka Juli Norwood ★★★½ 6

A slow burn southern gothic with exceptional performances by Nicolas Cage, Tye Sheridan and Gary Poulter!
A wonderfully dark character study that won't disappoint!
Cage is back!
Review by Matt Singer 1

"That dog is an asshole!"
Review by matt lynch ★★

sometimes it feels like you can order stuff like thwarted masculinity, rural economic decay, inexorable dread, and regional "authenticity" like they're toppings on a pizza. i guess i'm just sort of tired of movies like this.
Review by Esteban Gonzalez ★★★★ 5

"You pretend to be asleep, but I know you'd cry if I said the wrong thing."
Joe is a powerful and emotional drama that despite being slow grips you thanks to an intense realism and some excellent performances. Many have compared this to last year's MUD perhaps because teenager Tye Sheridan is in both films and they happen to take place in southern America dealing with some trashy characters. I really felt this film was more similar to Jennifer Lawrence's Winter's Bone in mood and tone, since MUD had an underlying romantic theme which this film lacks and you have two young characters that have to face great obstacles in order to sustain their families. With his performance in Joe,…
Review by Thomas Ringdal ★★★★ 2

David Gordon Green is a shoe-in for a hypothetic list of top5 personal favourites among directors working today.
I don't think I mind that much that he went off on a "two year bender" either, it just makes him more endearing and human. I've still not dared to touch The Sitter with a ten foot pole, though.
Onwards to Joe, a film I've been anticipating for a while (Green's upcoming Pacino starrer hasn't even entered my radar). I'm so glad to see my epxectations met in a story very well told, and hightened by superb acting.
Joe is set in a place sort of resembling a darker, grown-up version of where we left off in George Washington. It's a place…
Review by Roy Martin RR ★★★★ 2

Very strong movie experience! Some of the best I've seen of Nic Cage, and Tye Sheridan only continues to impress with yet another fantastic performance. I have high hopes for Tye Sheridan, if he keeps it at this level his career is going to be big, definitely one of the best child actors I've ever seen. These two main actors are not the only ones that shine, without all the great performances this wouldn't have worked. To know that the guy that is playing the father of Tye's character, Gary Poulter, has never ever done acting before is almost unbelievable, even more unbelievable is that he actually was a homeless guy who actually died on the street months after the…
Review by Michael SweatpantsDisco ★★★★ 4

From the man who brought you Pineapple Express & The Sitter comes a film featuring a beatdown so brutal it makes the curb-stomp scene in American History X seem like it belongs in Muppets Take Manhattan.
Review by Matt J. ★★★★½ 4

In which a self-loathing, self-destructive alcoholic endeavors to protect a young boy from an abusive, destructive alcoholic...

I'm convinced that there are actually two twin brothers, both named Nicholas Cage. The first one - let's call him Nic 1 - appears in films like Leaving Las Vegas, Adaptation, and Joe. His brother - Nic 2 - appears in stuff like Vampire's Kiss, Wild at Heart, and Deadfall. Sometimes they appear in the same film, such as Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans, in which they take turns filming different scenes.

Although each version of Nic has his own pros and cons, they are both entertaining to watch. More Nic Cage, please.
Review by UltimateMovieRankings ★★★½ 8

Joe is the latest movie starring Nicolas Cage. In this one Cage plays an ex-con who befriends a teen boy who is being abused by his father. Lots of drama in this one....which is well acted by Cage, Tye Sheridan as the boy and Gary Poulter as one of the worst screen dads in the history of movies. Poulter was a homeless man that got picked off the streets to play this role....he died in real life in the streets about two months after they finished the movie. There are not many light moments in this movie....which is well done....but not a movie I will ever revisit. Final thought: This is a good movie....but certainly not a fun movie to watch....unless you enjoy depressing, sad, and bleak movies.
This one is ranked 37th of 56 Cage movies on my Cogerson Movie Score table. cogersonmoviescore.com/nicholas-cage-movies-best-to-worst-box-office.html

Recent reviews

Review by adam

the movie felt a bit too novelistic (unfocused) and oddly directed but i “paid” to see nic cage and that’s what i got.
gary poulter’s performance is shattering, sad to hear of his untimely passing
Review by Sean M. ★★★

Good and depressing.
Review by Grumpa ★★★★

What an incredible movie. I often forget how hard life can be. They did a good job reminding me.
Review by Henry Confidential ★★★★

Really weird, but the point is good
Review by sarahkmartinez ★★★½

I went into this not really knowing what the film was about and was watching for the sole purpose of seeing my girl Adriene & fave YouTube yoga teacher act. And gotta say I am surprised!
I’m weary of seeing films that are supposed to be gritty and depict rural poverty, especially after seeing the shit show that was hillbilly elegy but this was alright. There were def moments of me rolling my eyes like when nic cage was like “blow me” but overall I believed the characters and felt like there were many moments of grim authenticity. Speaking of mr.cage, I never really cared for him and just always found his face to be insufferable but I realized I haven’t actually seen a lot of his work and after giving him a chance he won me over and I found I could put aside my bias about his face and believe him as this rugged yet sensitive protagonist by the end.
Review by Craig Fleming ★★★★

I've never liked Nicolas Cage in a film more than this. Tye Sheridan proves his acting ability, and put himself firmly in the conversation among best young actors. It's gritty, well directed and excellently acted from Cage. The standout Oscar worthy performances drive the film into one of 2013's best.
Review by lonelee ★★½

i feel like david gordon green saw gummo and was like you know what this needs? nic cage. i mean there’s even a scene with a bunny mask. didn’t hit for me, but i still love watching nic cage.
Review by mluthfi ★★★

Joe who?
Review by Jake_Loves_Film ★★★★

"I've gone through a windshield. I don't give a fuck."
This is the best film I've seen so far starring my man, Nicholas Cage.
Dark.
Beautiful symbolism in the trees. It really gets ya at the end.
Review by kileymiller ★★★

Nic cage chipping at trees with poison hatchets sparks joy
Review by mandorsh ★★★★

Rage cage 14-3/1
Wow damn, this was really solid. Nic had the good mix of calm and crazy.
Review by Ari ★★★★½

Rage in the Cage: Film 14
Oh shit this movie slaps.