Come to Daddy is a 2019 comedy horror film directed by Ant Timpson (producer of The Field Guide to Evil; Deathgasm; The ABCs of Death) from a screenplay written by Toby Harvard (The Greasy Strangler), based on an idea by Timpson.
The movie stars Elijah Wood, Stephen McHattie, Ona Grauer and Michael Smiley.
Plot:
After receiving a cryptic letter from his estranged father, Norval (Elijah Wood) travels to his dad’s ocean front home for what he hopes will be a positive experience. If only he’d known the dark truth about his old man beforehand…
Reviews [click links to read more]:
” …while the film itself is never afraid to cut loose and push you entirely out of your comfort zone. What starts as an uncomfortable reminder of the disconnect one can feel with a distant family member ultimately descends into bloody madness in the quest of approval from those who have left you behind.” Comicbook.com
” …there are a few conveniences and leaps of faith taken with the script, but it is nothing that brings down the entertainment level of the overall package. Come to Daddy is an outrageous horror-comedy that has a surprising amount of sincerity behind its ridiculous veneer, and I predict this will easily become a sleeper hit.” Film Pulse
“If Timpson’s precise direction and Harvard’s nimble script account for much of the pic’s success, they’re also blessed with a cast out in full support of the tricksy execution. Wood, who has proven himself a low-key master at playing deranged weirdos, adds another memorable one to the cachet, and his two-hander with the reliably grizzled, booze-soaked McHattie makes for compulsively uneasy viewing.” Flickering Myth
Watch Happywax TV review on YouTube
” …the film takes some tense, engaging, mind-bending paths as it plays freely with horror, dark comedy, and thriller elements, with more than a fair share of brutality and blood spilling.” Horror Fuel
“Great performances, a quirky script from Toby Harvard (who co-wrote The Greasy Strangler but don’t let that put you off) and carried off with a serious amount of style from director Ant Timpson…” House of Mortal Cinema
“With shades of early Peter Jackson and Evil Dead II, the mayhem builds to a relentless pile up of chaotic circumstances, most of which unfold within the claustrophobic confines of a single interior set […] But in a strange way, the gruesome events become an ideal metaphor for the often messy process of confronting family bonds that burst apart long ago.” IndieWire
“After dozens of impressive production credits to his name, Ant Timpson arrives on the scene with an absurdly entertaining feature debut. If you’re looking for something both violent and bizarre, look no further than Come to Daddy.” Modern Horrors
“Come to Daddy is a film that will catch you off guard several times throughout its runtime. You think it’s going one way and then it takes a completely different turn – and those are always the best stories, aren’t they? Well, they can be if executed properly and believe me this is one delivers on all aspects especially when it comes to the blood and gore.” Pop Horror
“Norval is forced to violently reckon with who he is and where he comes from in a way that pushes believability a few degrees passed what I was hoping, but always works because of how in the moment Wood remains throughout. He can sell the most ridiculous, twisty narrative. He has to do a lot of selling here, but I bought most of it.” RogerEbert.com
“Come to Daddy startles you with its plot turns, and makes you gasp and cringe with its ghastly details (you’ll never look at a certain writing implement the same way again), yet Timpson knows how to pitch even the nastiest moments so that film doesn’t tip over into gratuitous gross-out territory.” Rue Morgue
“There’s some bold storytelling choices being made here on the part of Timpson and screenwriter Toby Harvard. It’s a match made in heaven between the two of them. What’s more remarkable is that they’re able to pull off the story with such a minimal cast. The plus side to this is that it does allow for the film to have more of a character-driven plot.” Solzy at the Movies
Release:
In the USA, Saban Films released Come to Daddy theatrically, on VOD, and on Digital on February 7th 2020.
Cast and characters:
Elijah Wood … Norval
Stephen McHattie
Ona Grauer … Precious
Michael Smiley
Martin Donovan
Madeleine Sami
Simon Chin … Dandy
Garfield Wilson … Ronald Plum
Raresh DiMofte … Man
Alla Rouba … Woman
Filming locations:
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Technical details:
93 minutes
