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Daddy's Head is a horror film written and directed by Benjamin Barfoot. It stars Julia Brown and Rupert Turnbull as the central characters of the stepmother and the surrogate son, respectively. The film is produced by Patrick Tolan, Jamie Harvey, and Matthew James Wilkinson. Furthermore, James Atherton, Matthew Cooksley, Simon Lewis Marriott, Jan Pace, etc. serve as its executive producers.
Daddy's Head is Barfoot's second feature film following 2017's Double Date. The film had its world premiere at the Fantastic Fest on September 22, 2024. It was released exclusively on the OTT platform, Shudder, on October 11, 2024.
The film's synopsis, as per Shudder, reads:
"In the wake of his father's untimely death, a young boy is left in the eerie solitude of a sprawling country estate with his newly widowed stepmother.... the boy begins to hear unsettling sounds echoing through the corridors, and is soon haunted by the presence of a grotesque creature bearing a disturbingly familiar resemblance to his late father."
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It continues:
"As the boy’s warnings are dismissed as the imagination of a grieving child, the sinister entity tightens its grip on their crumbling lives."
Daddy's Head is a great watch this Halloween season as it offers plenty of jump scares, haunting visuals, a suspenseful soundtrack, and a scary monster that will keep audiences on the edge of their seats.
What is the story of Daddy's Head?
A young boy named Isaac (Rupert Turnbull) loses his father James (Charles Aitken) in a fatal car accident, not long after his mother's death. The only person left to take care of him is his stepmom Laura (Julia Brown), who does not seem too keen on becoming his legal guardian.
Barfoot used his own parents’ divorce during his childhood as inspiration to write the screenplay. As such, his story embodies themes of loss, disconnection, and restrained emotions.
Isaac struggles to cope with the grief of losing his father, and becomes increasingly distrustful of Laura after seeing her kiss her divorced friend, Robert (Nathaniel Martello-White). As a vulnerable child, Isaac finds comfort in a mysterious creature that reminds him of his father.
With time, he descends further into darkness and, a concerned Laura helps fight off the monster, who comes to embody his father's face.
Daddy's Head features excellent performances by both the lead stars, especially young Rupert Turnbull.
Daddy's Head is technically brilliant
The film's highlight is the grotesque, multi-limbed creature that bears the unmistakable face of James. Matthew Allen transforms into this insect-like creature, with top-notch visual effects that are inspired by the works of Chris Cunningham, a famous British video artist.
Furthermore, the creature lives in a woodland lair behind the house that is reminiscent of the folklore, Hansel and Gretel. The sound of the all-black creature scuttling across the room, scratching surfaces, and whispering faintly creates a slow-burn tension that pays off during the film's climax.
Daddy's Head does not give a satisfying answer regarding the creature's origins. Is it a manifestation of Isaac's grief and loneliness or something extraterrestrial? The film lets audiences form their own interpretations based on the climax scene.
In the end, the psychological thriller does not stick the landing quite as well as The Babadook, which explores similar themes of grief, trauma, and healing.
But like Under the Skin, it has plenty of spooky moments that will leave audiences with an unsettling feeling through most of the film's 97-minute runtime.
The movie takes the familiar trope of a scary monster lurking in the shadows and enhances the story with superlative cinematography, visual effects, production design, and sound design. While the film is technically outstanding, the script doesn't quite match up to the same standard.
Nevertheless, it's definitely worth a watch, if only once, this Halloween season.
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