Joe the King
CrimeDrama
A destitute 14-year-old struggles to keep his life together despite harsh abuse at his mother's hands, harsher abuse at his father's, and a growing separation from his slightly older brother.
VIBE
This film feels like a punch to the gut. It's a raw, unflinching look at a kid navigating a world of abuse and neglect. The 70s setting adds a layer of faded desperation to the bleak, yet compelling, character study.
grittybleakheartbreakingrawunflinchingsteadykitchen sink realismcharacter studyindie dramaabusefamily dysfunctioncoming-of-agepoverty
child abuse1970sclassroomdineralcoholismcoming of agemoneyspankingdebttheftsemi autobiographicalroller skating rinkabusive fatherschool counselorsyracusenew yorkteenage protagonist
