A grieving 12-year-old comes to believe that his dead father has returned in Daddy’s Head. Issac (Rupert Turnbull) is led by his stepmother Laura (Julia Brown) into a hospital to say goodbye to his father James (Charles Aitken), who was gravely injured in an automobile accident and is about to be taken off life support. After James’ death, Laura is given the option to become Issac’s legal guardian, though she is not sure, as Issac remains cold and distant from her. In addition, Issac becomes convinced that his father is still alive, as he is visited at night by a creature bearing James’ face.
Daddy’s Head Synopsis
Daddy’s Head is a supernatural horror film and the sophomore feature from British writer/director Benjamin Barfoot (Double Date). The film opens with an older Issac (James Harper-Jones) returning to his childhood home, next to a heavily forested area. The plot proceeds to flashback to when Issac was 12 and lost his father James, played by Charles Aitken (The Knick, Happy Death Day), in an automobile accident. James recently married Laura, played by Julia Brown, a recovering alcoholic looking forward to starting a new life. However, Issac never liked Laura and the two become even more distant after the death of James.
Laura is trying to decide whether she will become Issac’s legal guardian or let him be taken into foster care. As she tries to develop a connection with Issac, Laura takes solace with James’ recently divorced friend Robert (Nathaniel Martello-White), who frequently visits to check up on things. Soon Issac becomes adamant that James is not only still alive but is waiting for him in a strange wooden structure in the middle of the forest.
My Thoughts on Daddy’s Head
The very unusual title of Daddy’s Head refers to the supernatural creature that begins visiting the young protagonist Issac at night, which is mostly unseen except for its head, which looks very much like Issac’s dead father James. It is never fully explained who or what the creature is, though there are parallels to British folklore about fairies or changelings that live in the woods. The very fact that the creature is seen only in glimpses makes it more scary, until its final full reveal towards the end of Daddy’s Head.
However, director Benjamin Barfoot seems less interested in Daddy’s Head being a supernatural creature feature and more about making the film a metaphor for learning to cope with grief. This makes the film frustrating to watch at times, as Issac antagonizes his stepmother, Laura, solely for the fact that she is not a biological parent. This results in Daddy’s Head‘s plot running parallel somewhat to that of The Babadook, especially as Laura’s alcoholism begins to relapse in response to Issac’s behaviour and she goes on the verge of a mental breakdown.
Ultimately, Daddy’s Head does not come across as a fully developed horror film. The supernatural creature elements end up being the best part of the film, though they end up being overshadowed by the cliche “Grieving Child Hates Stepmother” narrative. Then there’s the very ambiguous ending to the film, which I just ended up completely shrugging off.
Trailer for Daddy’s Head
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