Daddy's Head

Now, I always say, it ain't about a picture show havin' a story that's been told before. What matters is how they tell it. Pictures, they're all about spinning a yarn, see? It's a tradition passed down from our ancestors, gatherin' 'round a fire in them caves, tellin' tales and paintin' on the walls.

And that's where director/writer Benjamin Barfoot, he shows his stuff. "Daddy's Head," it ain't the first picture to tell this kind of story, and it don't pretend to be. But the way Barfoot handles it, with his camerawork and set design and sound, it's like he's pieced together a masterpiece outta bits and pieces. And the result, it's a picture that keeps you hooked from the first flicker to the last.

Now, gotta give credit where credit's due. Young Rupert Turnbull, he's a real find. Been trainin' himself since he was five years old, they say, on TV, in pictures, even on the stage at the National Theatre. There's scenes in this picture where he carries the whole thing on his shoulders.

This film, it follows in the footsteps of "The Babadook" and "Under the Skin," and does a mighty fine job of it. It's proof that SHUDDER, they're still churnin' out quality pictures to keep us entertained this year.

One of these days, I'm gonna buy myself an island and call it SHUDDER Island, and I'm gonna have SHUDDER pictures playin' there 24/7.

Monster seemed cool, if you could see it. Acting not bad not great. Just a series of events with no story - the usual "deep" rubbish. I'm sure there's some grand overture about grief and relationships and etc etc. I can read a book written by professionals for deeper meanings of grief. If you can't translate those meanings into motion then you'd better have a good story - or apparently not a story at all as seems be the case with many films these days. AMBIGUITY IS NOT A STORY - A FILM IS NOT A MOVIE WITHOUT A STORY. It's just collections of thoughts. Everyone has thoughts big deal - tell a story! What a disappointing horror movie season. First Beezle now this. Lame lame lame.

The film seems to set itself up in the first 2 acts to deliver some interesting history on the characters. It drops ambiguous tid bits relating to past trauma and connections between characters both dead and alive that pique the interest.

It then never eventuates to anything.

What is the connection between the father's work as an architect and the way the creature is presented? How are any of the characters related? Why should the viewer care about the fate of anyone when there is little semblance of character development? The creators of this film must have run out of time or budget because the script doesn't just feel ambiguous, it feels unfinished.

The cinematography is absolutely beautiful and creates tension and suspense which is utilised well with some creepy and scary moments. This would have been enough to salvage the film but for the ending that undoes the little character development seen previously. It instead opts for a nonsensical deus ex machina reminiscent of the ending that was re-shot for the British release of 'Invaders From Mars (1953)'

What some have labelled a flaw I will call a feature.

The acting is tight. The sets beautiful.

The tone is menacing and the sense of dread is intriguing.

This is not apocalypse now or is it menat to be. For a horror it's great. The issue with any review is there is no qualifier to the type of movie the reviewer likes or the day they had when they watched it.

Many things are left unexplained. Many things that I enjoyed others felt frustrating. If you require all things explained and wrapped up in a bow this film is not for you. It doesn't make it bad just not your cup of tea. If you enjoy tone and setting and don't want to be bogged down by 60 minutes of boiler plate character development this is more for you.

I enjoyed the look feel and lack of pointless filler so many horror movies are bloated with. The filler is what some look for and enjoy along with a pablum-like exposition.

Good movie for some bad movie for others....

I recently watched the UK film 🇬🇧 Daddy's Head (2024) on Shudder. The story follows a young man living with his stepmother after the tragic death of his father. As they both struggle to cope with their loss, a strange figure emerges from the woods, claiming to be the boy's father. But what is buried in the woods, and is this really his father?

The film is written and directed by Benjamin Barfoot (Double Date) and stars Julia Brown (Shetland), Rupert Turnbull (Scrooge: A Christmas Carol), Nila Aalia (The Commuter), and Charles Aitken (Happy Death Day).

This film had a lot of potential. The casting and performances were spot on, and the settings, cinematography, and props effectively created a moody, atmospheric backdrop. The psychological struggles of the main characters felt authentic, making their vulnerability palpable. However, despite the buildup, the villain or supernatural presence never fully takes over the film as you'd expect. The best horror elements come from the eerie sound effects of the creature, but even that isn't enough to carry the tension. The ending is especially disappointing, as it leaves you waiting for a climactic moment that never happens.

In conclusion, Daddy's Head has all the ingredients to be a great horror film, but it never quite delivers. I'd rate it a 5/10 and recommend giving it a pass.