Daddy’s Head (2024) Frightening Exploration of Grief via Polished Filmmaking

Although its title suggests something pulpier, Shudder’s latest release, Daddy’s Head is actually a frightening exploration of grief told via polished filmmaking. It leans towards elevated horror aesthetics, most notably in the modernist house setting which recalls Ex-Machina, Parasite, The Invisible Man, etcetera. It is the distinction between the sharp-edged, concrete interior of the house and winding woods outside which enriches every element of this film, and yet, despite its undeniable fear factor, it is hard not to come away with a sense of apathetic familiarity.

From the opening scene in a hospital, it is clear that this horror film isn’t about geysers of blood and limbs torn asunder. Young Isaac (Rupert Turnbull) stares at the body of his soon-to-die father James (Charles Aitken), his bloody head bandaged after a deadly car accident. Laura (Julia Brown), James’ recent partner, can’t bring herself to even look at the body. She returns to James’ isolated home with Isaac, sick with grief and unsure how to navigate her relationship with James’ son. Trapped in a hostile home with a boy that despises her, Laura starts to hear scuttling in the walls. Something alive and somewhat familiar, even familial, has intruded during their grieving period and it isn’t friendly.

I regularly peeked through my fingers whilst watching this, a testament to the well executed scares in Daddy’s Head. For example, the foe that Laura and Isaac encounter is nearly completely black, consequently upping the jump scare potential in every shadowed corner. This is complimented by camerawork which is knowingly cold, as established in the film’s opening where it is used to emphasise the emotional gulf between the two bereaved. One scene shows Laura attempting to comfort Isaac whilst sitting next to him on his bed. Yet the camera never reveals her face. What should be a unifying moment is instead disjointed, a feeling which is translated into the scarier scenes later on.

Strongest of all is the film’s setting. The cold concrete sandwiching the windowed walls of James’ home make for a claustrophobic setting, which is paradoxically dangerously exposed. It appears closer to Tate Modern than a family home because of the modern art oddities littering the rooms, and as such is uncomfortably unhomely. However, the tendril arms of the trees in the woods, which act as the alternative to James’ architectural woodland intrusion, are of no comfort either. Later in the film, a Lovecraftian structure appears in the forest. This knotted wood behemoth has a foreboding aura similar to the monolith in 2001: A Space Odyssey, a feeling which is not easily replicated. It is as if Daddy’s Head locks the viewer in these hostile environments, forming a simmering feeling of unease bubbling under every frame.

In elevated horror, the modernist architect’s dream is the new gothic haunted house, both of which are familiar to the point of apathy. It is an effective setting for a horror film but one which feels slightly tired now, despite the pristine furniture. Similarly, using horror to explore grief isn’t anything new, particularly in elevated horror. While well trodden thematic territory should never be restricted, Daddy’s Head doesn’t bring anything new to the table in regards to its thoughts on anguish. The metaphor is even hidden behind a reasonable sci-fi explanation which is played subtly but detracts from the film’s core ruminations on loss. 

Daddy’s Head stands as an achievement in near flawless technical filmmaking from director Benjamin Barfoot (Double Date), whereby each scare is squeezed dry for all the screams it could possibly give. While the plot is certainly affecting, the evident skill of the cast and crew leaves a wanting feeling, perhaps for some personal flair from Barfoot. It is an arresting watch but few stills from the film stick in the mind after the credits roll. The likes of Osgood Perkins’ recent hit Longlegs, for example, operates on a narrative level adjacent to Daddy’s Head, but Perkins’ visual flair buries it in the minds of viewers. No such cerebral plots are dug by Daddy’s Head, but it is a pleasure to watch nonetheless.

Barney’s Archive – Daddy’s Head