Impressively distilled in plot and style, Joy nonetheless explores (but does not untie) a formidable knot of issues around
money, migration, motherhood, race, policing, pragmatism, and violence both personal and systemic. Each narrative turn complicates
all the others, and a late, unexpected return to Nigeria, positioned as neither a welcome escape nor an irreversible fall,
only adds further ironies.
Read more of Nick Davis’ thoughts on JOY in film comment
