Daddy’s Head review
Shudder brings us some well-made trauma horror with spooky imagery and relatable characters.
New movie reviews will not contain spoilers.
Daddy’s Head
Directed by Benjamin Barfoot
Written by Benjamin Barfoot
Starring Mary Woodvine
Daddy’s Head Review
We’ve discussed Shudder’s bounce back this year on more than one occasion. The release of another quality original only furthers the case. Now, Daddy’s Head isn’t in the same class as Late Night with the Devil, Stopmotion or Oddity…but it’s another solid entry in the Shudder original catalog. It also provides an incredible whiplash if you watch it after Hulu’s recent release Mr. Crocket…which may or may not be the case with this reviewer. Keep that in mind when I mention the slow nature of Daddy’s Head. It does unfold at a slowish pace…but, taken as the second part of a double header with Mr. Crocket’s wild energy, I may not have been in the proper headspace to accurately judge.
The death of the family patriarch leaves Laura (Julia Brown) as the caretaker of her young stepson Isaac (Rupert Turnbull). Grieving and unequipped for the job, Laura’s world begins to crumble. Oh…and Isaac is convinced that a creature hiding in the nearby woods is his father…returned from the grave. So, there’s that.
Trauma horror is not a new concept. Daddy’s Head is steeped in trauma horror. There’s a sliding scale of familiarity with things like this. If you aren’t steeped in the subgenre…a lot of what Daddy’s Head is doing probably works better for you. If you’ve seen a lot of “family tries to cope with a tragedy when some kind of monster appears” stories…you’re not going to be surprised by a lot of what Daddy’s Head has to offer. I find the best way to discuss movies in this situation is to concentrate on how well it does what it does. How effective those things are for you will differ from viewer to viewer.
To that end, Daddy’s Head is a very well-made film. It places character over scares and, as is usually the case, is rewarded with effective scares when the time comes to deploy them. There is some terrific horror imagery here. The creature design is excellent. These things are utilized to accentuate the story being told…not to cover for a lack of one. Laura can’t properly grieve the loss of her husband. She’s in over her head trying to be the parent for Isaac that she’s never had to be.
There’s some DNA of The Babadook in Daddy’s Head. A comparison that I’m sure writer/director Benjamin Barfoot doesn’t want you to think about (sorry Benjamin). Comparing anything to a modern classic does that movie no favors. Still…the story of a mother unfit for duty and struggling with unresolved grief has been done before. Better, of course. Daddy’s Head takes a different approach by making its impossible creature that infects the home a more personal monster. It appears to have the face of Isaac’s father…and targets their connection instead of Laura’s grief.
We still see Laura’s emotional decline…it just doesn’t lead to the horror of this story. With only family friend Robert (Nathaniel Martello-White) to rely on…Laura spirals fast. Child protective services are always one step away if she proves unable to provide Isaac with the environment he needs. An environment that has been infiltrated by something well and truly demonic. Laura is an interesting character. She admits that she never wanted children…she just wanted her husband. Now that he’s gone…her life is completely uprooted. The situation would be difficult without all the unresolved trauma, the certainty that Isaac hates her, and demonic monster hiding in her vents. Daddy’s Head doesn’t make Laura the bad guy…but it doesn’t go out of its way to make her heroic either.
As the creature begins to gain control over Isaac, Daddy’s Head provides its best horror moments. There is some inspired imagery when the story really gets going. It just gets there slower than you’d probably like it to. The best scenes in Daddy’s Head come in quick succession…and they all come in the back half of the movie. Those scenes are worth investing your time in Daddy’s Head to get to. The creature makes things interesting whenever it appears…but, again, that’s mostly second half content. Watching it manipulate Isaac to lure others into dangerous situations is fun. I just wish there was a little more of it to be had earlier in the proceedings.
Even with a slow start, Daddy’s Head presents a solid case of trauma horror. A memorable creature, some fine performances, and a fitting epilogue combine to deliver another quality Shudder original. You’ll have to stick this one out a bit to get to the good stuff…but when the stuff is good, it makes the journey a worthwhile one.
Scare Value
Daddy’s Head doesn’t reinvent the wheel…but it does continue Shudder’s strong year of original releases. The concepts it peddles are not new territory for anyone who watches a lot of trauma horror movies…but strong performances and a great creature make things feel fresh. A slow burn horror story with memorable scares awaiting those patient enough to see them.
3/5
Daddy’s Head Link
Streaming on Shudder
