Little Joe

A botanist sci-fi thriller in a laboratory setting. Master director Jessica Hausner’s (Lourdes) makes an impressive English-language debut.

At a company which produces new plant forms, Alice (Emily Beecham) has developed a flower with new qualities. Through its very scent, it can make its owner happy. Just before the flowers are to leave the laboratory to be put on the market, Alice starts to suspect that her creation is anything but benign. Little Joe is an existential thriller – whose dystopian mood, and Ben Whishaw bit part, brings The Lobster to mind. But Hausner’s subdued humour and hyper-aestheticism are easily recognisable. Costumes, set design and deadpan acting – all top notch. Beecham claimed the Best Actress award at the Cannes film festival.

• Andreas Degerhammar