Connect with us

News

Review: ‘Come to Daddy’ is a Dark, Shifting, Shocking Thrill Ride

Published

on

come to daddy

Peppered with unadulterated insanity, Come to Daddy is a shifting, often shocking, and surprisingly hilarious thrill ride. Anchored by stellar performances from its main cast (and a “this house is its own character” setting), the film sweeps you through a madcap haze of manic proportions. It crashes over you, speeding along a winding and dangerous path, and you just can’t look away.

Come to Daddy is Ant Timpson’s feature film directorial debut, and he starts strong. Hailing from New Zealand, Timpson has acted as a producer on some seriously fun films — including Deathgasm, Housebound, and Turbo Kid — and brings that quirky Kiwi comedic charm to this dark, twisted tale of a father-son reunion.  

Written by Toby Harvard and based on an idea by Timpson, the film follows Norval Greenwood, a privileged man-child, as he arrives at the beautiful and remote coastal cabin of his estranged father. He quickly discovers that not only is dad a jerk, but he also has a shady past that is rushing to catch up with both of them. Now, hundreds of miles from his cushy comfort zone, Norval must battle with demons, both real and perceived, in order to reconnect with a father he barely knows.

Stephen McHattie and Elijah Wood in “Come to Daddy” via Jamie Leigh Gianopoulos

The film begins by carefully exploring the strained relationship between Norval and his distant-would-be-an-understatement father, Brian, before a record-scratching chain of events tosses poor Norval into a blender of bad shit. We follow him through the chaos as he is thrown desperately out of his depth. 

Played by an earnestly endearing Elijah Wood (Maniac, The Lord of the Rings), Norval is — at first — kind of a weenie. He’s the ultimate hipster millennial with his Beverly Hills upbringing, limited edition gold-plated iPhone, “music career”, and lofty stories of his up-close-and-very-personal brushes with fame. He’s sweet and insecure, but you can’t help but cock an eyebrow at every humble brag. 

Once the shit hits the proverbial fan, Norval is forced to step up in the biggest way possible, and it’s incredibly easy to empathize with his plight. Wood perfectly captures that wide-eyed innocence that makes Norval such a sympathetic character. 

His paternal counterpart, Steven McHattie (Pontypool, 300), slings vicious barbs through gritted teeth. They’re perfectly imbalanced, making their reunion that much more stilted. Meanwhile, Michael Smiley (Kill List) slides in with a fantastically grimy performance that steals each scene with a greasy underhand.

While Come to Daddy certainly goes… a lot of different directions, it is firmly focused on the strained relationship between an estranged father and a desperate son. Norval is searching for any kind of connection he could possibly form with his father after a lifetime of confused loss. 

Elijah Wood in “Come to Daddy” via Daniel Katz

But as weighty as that particular plot point is, Come to Daddy doesn’t fully succumb to its own pressure. There’s a pitch-black humor injected throughout, breaking the tension with violent absurdity. 

Timpson doesn’t hold back on these hits; they pulse with a savagery so startling that you can’t help but laugh. It’s all grounded by a simple, linear narrative that guides the ever-shifting tone of the film. The score — composed by New Zealand artist Karl Steven — ties it all together. Following its brutally absurd build-up, Come to Daddy wafts its full emotional weight through the film’s final moments, and it’s a brilliantly dramatic note to end on. 

After that whole wild ride, we’re reminded of the film’s thesis. The relationship between father and son, and if — once broken — that bond can ever be repaired. What lengths would you go to for your family? How does it change you? Swathed in a surprisingly dark comedic cloak, there’s a genuine and deeply human heart to the film that resonates with emotional honesty. 

Come to Daddy pulls you in with its eccentricity, sneaking in a one-two punch that throws you for a loop before blasting you into shocking new territory. It’s a surefire crowd pleaser — pure midnight pulpy madness — and it’s certainly a memorable experience. You just have to accept the invite. 

Click here for the trailer, or watch below.
In Select Theaters Nationwide + Available on Digital & VOD on February 7, 2020

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Click to comment

You must be logged in to post a comment Login

Leave a Reply

Movies

Another Creepy Spider Movie Hits Shudder This Month

Published

on

Good spider films are a theme this year. First, we had Sting and then there was Infested. The former is still in theaters and the latter is coming to Shudder starting April 26.

Infested has been getting some good reviews. People are saying that it’s not only a great creature feature but also a social commentary on racism in France.

According to IMDb: Writer/director Sébastien Vanicek was looking for ideas around the discrimination faced by black and Arab-looking people in France, and that led him to spiders, which are rarely welcome in homes; whenever they’re spotted, they’re swatted. As everyone in the story (people and spiders) is treated like vermin by society, the title came to him naturally.

Shudder has become the gold standard for streaming horror content. Since 2016, the service has been offering fans an expansive library of genre movies. in 2017, they began to stream exclusive content.

Since then Shudder has become a powerhouse in the film festival circuit, buying distribution rights to movies, or just producing some of their own. Just like Netflix, they give a film a short theatrical run before adding it to their library exclusively for subscribers.

Late Night With the Devil is a great example. It was released theatrically on March 22 and will begin streaming on the platform starting April 19.

While not getting the same buzz as Late Night, Infested is a festival favorite and many have said if you suffer from arachnophobia, you might want to take heed before watching it.

Infested

According to the synopsis, our main character, Kalib is turning 30 and dealing with some family issues. “He’s fighting with his sister over an inheritance and has cut ties with his best friend. Fascinated by exotic animals, he finds a venomous spider in a shop and brings it back to his apartment. It only takes a moment for the spider to escape and reproduce, turning the whole building into a dreadful web trap. The only option for Kaleb and his friends is to find a way out and survive.”

The film will be available to watch on Shudder starting April 26.

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Continue Reading

Movies

Part Concert, Part Horror Movie M. Night Shyamalan’s ‘Trap’ Trailer Released

Published

on

In true Shyamalan form, he sets his film Trap inside a social situation where we aren’t sure what is going on. Hopefully, there is a twist at the end. Furthermore, we hope it’s better than the one in his divisive 2021 movie Old.

The trailer seemingly gives away a lot, but, as in the past, you can’t rely on his trailers because they are often red herrings and you are being gaslit to think a certain way. For instance, his movie Knock at the Cabin was completely different than what the trailer implied and if you hadn’t read the book on which the film is based it was still like going in blind.

The plot for Trap is being dubbed an “experience” and we aren’t quite sure what that means. If we were to guess based on the trailer, it’s a concert movie wrapped around a horror mystery. There are original songs performed by Saleka, who plays Lady Raven, a kind of Taylor Swift/Lady Gaga hybrid. They have even set up a Lady Raven website to further the illusion.

Here is the fresh trailer:

According to the synopsis, a father takes his daughter to one of Lady Raven’s jam-packed concerts, “where they realize they’re at the center of a dark and sinister event.”

Written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan, Trap stars Josh Hartnett, Ariel Donoghue, Saleka Shyamalan, Hayley Mills and Allison Pill. The film is produced by Ashwin Rajan, Marc Bienstock and M. Night Shyamalan. The executive producer is Steven Schneider.

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Continue Reading

News

Woman Brings Corpse Into Bank To Sign Loan Papers

Published

on

Warning: This is a disturbing story.

You have to be pretty desperate for money to do what this Brazilian woman did at the bank to get a loan. She wheeled in a fresh corpse to endorse the contract and she seemingly thought the bank employees wouldn’t notice. They did.

This weird and disturbing story comes via ScreenGeek an entertainment digital publication. They write that a woman identified as Erika de Souza Vieira Nunes pushed a man she identified as her uncle into the bank pleading with him to sign loan papers for $3,400. 

If you’re squeamish or easily triggered, be aware that the video captured of the situation is disturbing. 

Latin America’s largest commercial network, TV Globo, reported on the crime, and according to ScreenGeek this is what Nunes says in Portuguese during the attempted transaction. 

“Uncle, are you paying attention? You must sign [the loan contract]. If you don’t sign, there’s no way, as I cannot sign on your behalf!”

She then adds: “Sign so you can spare me further headaches; I can’t bear it any longer.” 

At first we thought this might be a hoax, but according to Brazilian police, the uncle, 68-year-old Paulo Roberto Braga had passed away earlier that day.

 “She attempted to feign his signature for the loan. He entered the bank already deceased,” Police Chief Fábio Luiz said in an interview with TV Globo. “Our priority is to continue investigating to identify other family members and gather more information regarding this loan.”

If convicted Nunes could be facing jail time on charges of fraud, embezzlement, and desecration of a corpse.

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Continue Reading