Daddy’s Head is a story of horror born from grief. After the death of his father, Isaac (Rupert Turnbull) is left alone with his stepmother Laura (Julia Brown) in their sprawling country home. As both deal with the recent loss, a presence begins to visit the young boy. The more contact the creature has with Isaac the more distant the relationship between parent and child becomes.
The film is filled with great imagery. Writer-director Benjamin Barfoot makes great use of light and shadow to maximize the scariest moments. The creature always seems just out of view forcing the audience to try to make out what is there. Each time it does make its full appearance is incredibly frightening. Similar moments in other movies would be rightfully called out for the overuse of jump scares, but in Daddy’s Head they are used to perfection.
The majority of the time is spent at Laura and Isaac’s huge house. With the exception of a few scenes, they are isolated from the rest of the world. Even regular visits from Laura’s friend does not change the feeling that the two are completely alone. Daddy’s Head does not take enough advantage of this setting. The interior shots are mainly spent in the same two or three rooms and do not accurately convey the vastness of their home. That being said, there is action in the neighboring woods that give an idea of just how cut off from society the pair are.
The actual story about dealing with grief has its moments but never comes together as well as it should. There is not much in the way of nuance, but Daddy’s Head clearly shows how Laura is handling everything that is happening. She is affected by the loss of her husband while also trying to deal with a son she never really wanted. Rarely without a drink in her hand, she becomes increasingly incapable of handling everything that is happening.
It is with Isaac that Daddy’s Head drops the ball. He was already distant from his stepmother, so there really is not a sense that his father’s death has changed anything between them. A young boy longing for his recently deceased father makes sense. It is also understandable that Isaac would want anyone who does not believe him to see his father.
The problem is that grief and horror are never brought together. This is most evident in the ending that leaves more questions than answers. It is clear what has happened, but there is no explanation as to why. Daddy’s Head may be a case of trauma bonding, but the uncertainty takes away from what is otherwise a very effective horror movie.
Daddy’s Head streams on Shudder October 11.
