Before this year’s Oscar race draws to a close, one film has already staked its claim on next year’s conversation: the Sundance breakout “Josephine.”
Premiering in the U.S. Dramatic Competition at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, “Josephine” took home both the Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic and the Audience Award: Dramatic — the first film to win both honors since the best picture nominee “Minari” in 2021 and the eventual best picture winner “CODA” in 2022. It’s an increasingly rare achievement that signals not just critical acclaim, but profound audience resonance.
Variety’s chief film critic Peter Debruge called the film a “standout” of the festival, writing in his review, “‘Josephine’ dares to confront the life-shattering intersection of sex and violence in our culture, facing the toughest of ‘adult situations’ with clear eyes.” He went on to praise the storytelling choices of writer-director Beth de Araújo, noting, “Instead of forcing an interpretation upon her audience, de Araújo trusts us to make sense of her characters’ contradictory, if not downright counterproductive, mindsets.”
That trust and restraint pays off. The film’s next stop will be the Berlin International Film Festival on Feb. 20, where it will compete for the Golden Bear, further solidifying its global relevance.
“Josephine” marks the sophomore feature from Chinese Brazilian filmmaker de Araújo, following her Gotham Award-nominated debut “Soft and Quiet.” With “Josephine,” she levels up her ambition and emotional depth. The story centers on 8-year-old Josephine (Mason Reeves), who witnesses a violent crime in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park while spending the day with her father, played by Channing Tatum. In the aftermath, the child spirals — not simply with words, but with behavior — as she seeks a sense of safety in a world that can no longer offer it.
It is, without question, one of the most harrowing and visually arresting portrayals of sexual trauma in contemporary cinema. While that subject matter may make “Josephine” a difficult sell for some audiences, it is precisely why the film must be seen and championed. At a moment when revelations like the Epstein Files dominate headlines and a once-central fight for women’s rights have been pushed to the margins of public discourse, this devastating drama feels as timely as a film can be.
“There isn’t a parent in the world who won’t see themselves in Channing,” said one high-flying executive at a later Park City screening.
The film’s visual language is shaped by cinematographer Greta Zozula, whose previous work includes FX’s “American Sports Story” and Apple TV’s “Servant.” Here, she captures the world through Josephine’s eyes: simultaneously innocent and observant, fragile and brave. Zozula doesn’t flinch from the horrors the girl witnesses, but she never exploits them. Instead, each frame pulses with emotional urgency — a child’s perception of an adult world spinning out of control.
In the title role, Reeves delivers what can only be described as a generational performance. Drawing comparisons to the breakout turns of Dakota Fanning in “Man on Fire” (2004), Jacob Tremblay in “Room” (2015), and Quvenzhané Wallis in “Beasts of the Southern Wild” (2012), Reeves matches — and perhaps surpasses — the emotional intensity of those iconic roles.
Oscar history shows us that lead nominations for child actors are rare. Only two performers under 18 have ever been nominated for Best Actress: Wallis, who still holds the record as the youngest at age 9, and Keisha Castle-Hughes for “Whale Rider” (2003) at age 13. In contrast, the supporting actress category has been far more welcoming to young performers. But if there’s ever been a case for bucking that trend, Reeves makes it. Her performance is not a gimmick. It’s lived-in, raw and staggering.
If Reeves anchors the film, Channing Tatum and Gemma Chan are the dual forces that keep it in motion.
As Damien, Josephine’s father, he channels a subdued, aching kind of masculinity — one unable to articulate emotion but desperate to protect. His portrayal recalls his quietly devastating work in Bennett Miller’s “Foxcatcher” (2014). Still, here he goes further, exposing a tender undercurrent that shows how even well-meaning parents can be unequipped for unimaginable circumstances.
On Main Street’s byways, “Josephine” was often the first title blurted out during the annual ritual of asking people what they’ve seen and liked. An award-winning screenwriter told Variety that Tatum has an opportunity to carve himself a niche position that someone like Ryan Gosling used to occupy: the sexy knockaround guy who learns something about life and himself, as evidenced by his work in “Josephine” and, last year, “Roofman.”
Opposite him, Gemma Chan delivers the finest performance of her career. As Josephine’s mother, Claire, Chan is luminous with quiet sorrow, conveying maternal guilt and helplessness with precision. It’s a portrait of grief that’s understated, but unforgettable.
The film’s haunting emotional tone is underscored by the subtle, atmospheric score from composer Miles Ross. In only his second feature collaboration with de Araújo — and his second film score, period — Ross crafts a sonic landscape that evokes the minimalist beauty of the late Jóhann Jóhannsson. His compositions are not merely musical cues, but emotional undercurrents that slip beneath the surface of every scene.
While “Josephine” is undeniably heavy, it is also beautifully humane. It wrestles with trauma, yes — but also resilience, childhood and the unspoken bonds between parents and children. For all its pain, the film emerges as an unexpectedly hopeful meditation on survival and connection.
Any distributor willing to take on “Josephine” will need a bold, carefully calibrated campaign. Its subject matter is not easily digestible, but it is vital. And if voters can look past their discomfort, they will find one of the most searing and artistically accomplished films of the decade.
“Josephine” was more than worthy of one of Sundance’s notorious all-night distributor bidding wars. Yet in a year steeped in nostalgia, as the festival packed up for Colorado, that kind of sale never materialized. Two sources close to the production tell Variety that both streamers and studios remain in the mix, though the priority of any deal is positioning de Araújo as a generation-defining discovery — à la Ryan Coogler’s Sundance breakout with “Fruitvale Station.” Two potential suitors balked at the asking price, between $5 million and $6 million, and exited immediately, according to sources. The figure is hardly eye-popping for Sundance, where genre titles have fetched north of $17 million and Apple made history with a $25 million acquisition of its best picture winner “CODA.” The hesitation appears tied less to cost than to perceived commercial risk, given the film’s serious subject matter, despite strong word of mouth among both audiences and industry insiders.
In a year that will be crowded with prestige contenders, “Josephine” stands apart not just as a piece of cinema but as a cultural reckoning. It doesn’t whisper — it insists. And it does so with elegance, clarity and unforgettable urgency.
No matter what unfolds at Berlin later this month, the message is clear: “Josephine” has arrived and kicks off the promise of the 2026 film year with stunning resolve.
Matt Donnelly contributed to this report.
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