Critic Reviews

The film feels most real, even at its most absurd, when focused on the idea of closure as a kind of fantasy.

A safer but still funny follow-up to Jeff Baena's provocative debut.

Ultimately, it’s a fascinating depiction of the way men do — or don’t — confront life’s tragedies and traumas.

Mr. Baena (who, with David O. Russell, wrote the tricky 2004 “I ♥ Huckabees”) is more accomplished than many microbudget filmmakers, and the looseness with which he imbues the middle section of Joshy is deceptive, creating a sense that the necessary emotional crash might not actually occur.

Joshy doesn’t provide any new revelations about the transition into adulthood, but, with an amusing ensemble, you could be stuck with a much worse group of guys.

For better and for worse, Joshy believably creates the sensation of a low-key weekend hang with a bunch of bros. You probably wouldn’t want to spend that much time with these people yourself, but at least they’re never boring.

Joshy could easily be a film about loss, but it instead ends up as a prickly exploration of forced fun.

While it is something of a comedy, Joshy is also serious, and its comic actors follow suit.

Writer/director Josh Baena (Life After Beth) bookends Joshy with dark moments, and while the first works perfectly, the second threatens to unravel everything that comes before.

Joshy offers a strange mix of elements that never quite add up.