Daddy's Head

In case you're wondering, no, this is not a movie about a haunting, possession, zombie or another 'Pet Sematary'. There is a very subtle scene that edges more towards an alien movie, but its also not that kind of movie.

'Daddy's Head' revolves around the loss of a loved one. In this case, young Isaac is longing for his father, James, who passed away after a car accident. James recently got married to Laura, now Isaac's stepmother. When James dies, Laura considers sending Isaac to an orphanage, because she is convinced Isaac "hates" her. The two of them don't really get along, and is aggravated by James' absence.

When something starts lurking around the house at night, Isaac is convinced it is his Dad, who has come back for him, although he looks different - he has the same head, but a different body. The 'creature' is creepy and the sound effects are very good and scary.

The characters are well set up to make their actions believable. Rupert Turnbull delivers a strong performance as Isaac, and we root for him even though we know he is in the wrong. And then there's Laura, who not only has to come to terms with the loss of her husband, but also having to deal with Isaac. She confides in her friend, Lucas, which causes more friction between them. Apart from the supernatural horror, this is also a character study.

Over-analyzing the film will result in too many questions, like why the creature chose Isaac, how did he manage to resemble James, and what did it stand to gain by misleading a young boy? Rather just sit back, and enjoy the film for the creepy ride and unpredictability, with jump scares galore!

By the halfway point, this film had done little to captivate. Pushed through hoping for more, but apart from the slightest case of the creeps there was nothing.

Pros: The concept. Creepy monster adopts the face of a recently deceased loved one to lure relatives to its lair. Potential for days.

Creature design (barely). Unfortunately, we're given barely a glimpse of the thing, which is a pity because it's the best thing about this film.

Cons: The acting. From underacted to overacted to downright wooden, none of the performances did anything to hold my attention.

The characters. No redeeming factors, nothing to elicit sympathy. Two dimensional. The predominant feeling is one of dislike. When you don't care if the characters live or die, what's the point of watching any more?

The monster. What is it? Where does it come from? What does it want? In the end, I was only holding on for answers to these questions, and I got nothing.

The pacing. Paint dries quicker.

I get the sense they were trying for some grand metaphor, but overall it fell pretty short. After everything, the ending feels pointless.

Disappointing.

This movie starts with a good premise and really builds the tension. I think the two leads here are doing some great work here. I really loved that we saw less of the creature - that really built the suspense of what is it. The ending felt rushed and motivations of the characters seemed off. I think there was a lot of unanswered questions about what the creature was and why now. What did it want? The location and camera work really save this film. Overall I was creeped out and invested the entire time. I think if you're looking for a decent horror film with the spooky atmosphere you should check this one out.

At first, I was a bit skeptical about this movie because the first 25 minutes were not particularly entertaining. It didn't give me much to work with, and the characters were not very interesting. The drama also didn't hit as hard, as we've seen movies with tragic deaths of loved ones a million times before. However, after the first encounter with the threat that Isaac-and especially Laura-have to deal with throughout the movie, I was hooked. Every time this entity appeared on screen, I was mesmerized by its design and movement. It felt like something new, not the typical evil you see in every third horror movie nowadays.

As the relationship between Laura and Isaac escalated, the drama worked more for me. Imagining the grief and pain that come after the death of a loved one under these circumstances was harrowing. The movie also has some really interesting visuals that look unique and engaging. The acting was decent, though nothing extraordinary, but Rupert Turnbull definitely succeeded in making me very annoyed with his portrayal of a grieving Isaac.

In the end, I had a rather good time watching this, and even though it's not spectacular, I would recommend giving it a try. [6.1/10]

What can I say about this film? It is truly unique in its depiction of grief as a creature that uses the face of others . Bending those affected at will to do whatever this creature summons.

The actors are all well grounded in their role in this film particularly Julia brown who had some difficult moments to perform in this film . She effortlessly convinces you to sympathise with her character's situation.

There are plenty of dark moments in this film but it is specifically horrific in its basis , imagine a loved one not talking to u from an ouija board or a ghostly form wailing. But clear as day face to face and yet you can feel something is not quite real about them .

This form being in fact a viscous malicious predator.

A physical manifestation of your grief and desire to see them once more now inescapable and hunting you .

Quite frankly I feel this movie will go on to have a small but cult following, it reminded me of heredity significantly in its development gradually becoming more disturbing psychologically rather than with silly quick jump scares like most films .

Put in short .

It's dark , disturbing and gripping and definitely deserves more attention.