A plant breeder must reckon with her dangerous creation in a new trailer for Jessica Hausner’s “Little Joe.” Alice (Emily Beecham, “Daphne”) has admirable aims — to “create a plant with a scent that makes its owner happy,” she explains. If kept at the ideal temperature, fed properly, and spoken to regularly, the crimson flower serves as a mood-lifting anti-depressant.
Alice is so excited about her progress that she defies company policy and brings one of the plants home to her teenage son, Joe (Kit Connor, “Rocketman”). They call the plant Little Joe. Unfortunately, it’s not long before suspicions arise about Little Joe and his ilk — it seems that the plants are capable of changing the people they infect.
“You’re a good mother, but which of your children will you choose?” Alice is asked.
Hausner’s other credits include “Amour Fou,” “Lourdes,” and “Toast.” She penned the script for “Little Joe” with Géraldine Bajard. The pic made its world premiere at Cannes earlier this year and hits theaters December 6.
