Come to Daddy (Movie Review)

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

PLOT: Norval Greenwood, a privileged man-child arrives at the beautiful and remote coastal cabin of his estranged father, who he hasn't seen in 30 years. He quickly discovers that not only is dad a disapproving jerk, he also has a shady past that is rushing to catch up with him. 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.

REVIEW: There are, maximum, two things you need to know about COME TO DADDY before you watch it. Skip the trailers and Google deep-dives. There are just two things. First, the movie kicks off with two quotes about dads: one by William Shakespeare and the other by Beyoncé. True story. And two, the movie has been slapped with an R-rating via the MPAA for strong violence, language throughout, sexual content and graphic nudity. And boy does it earn that rating. There, that's really all you need to know. But for those that need, I don't know, a deeper recommendation, let's get to it.

A good amount of the film's running time is a two-hander with Elijah Wood (NORTH) and Stephen McHattie (PONTYPOOL) going back-and-forth and then back again on the love/hate spectrum. Wood plays a guy so eager to impress his father that he tells tall tales about being best buddies with the likes of Elton John and that he produces *checks notes* "blazing beats." McHattie isn't impressed. He prefers to tell tales of how he once kicked off another man's ear in a fight. As you might imagine, the two have trouble finding equal ground. But that doesn't matter much as the movie has far more tricks up its sleeve than giving us a twisted two-man stage play. But love needs to be sent Wood and McHattie's way as they rule much of the screen. 
 
That said, love must also be sent the way of the film's additional cast which includes Martin Donovan (INSOMNIA), Michael Smiley (KILL LIST), Madeleine Sami, Simon Chin, and Ona Grauer. Donovan and Smiley specifically kill it in their mysterious roles with Smiley's character quite possibly being one of my favorites of the year. Let me just say this is a movie that demands to be seen twice. So if you're going to give COME TO DADDY it's day in court (and you'd better) than just make sure to set aside double the running time… and about a half-hour to decompress between screenings.

COME TO DADDY marks the directorial debut of producer Ant Timpson, who has been behind some of the most original horror movies of the past few years including THE FIELD GUIDE TO EVIL, THE GREASY STRANGLER, DEATHGASM, TURBO KID, and HOUSEBOUND. THE ABC'S OF DEATH is based on a nightmare by Timpson. If I had to compare the insanity and humor of COME TO DADDY with any of those films, I'd say that the closest match would be HOUSEBOUND with a dash of THE GREASY STRANGLER thrown in for good measure. And speaking of greasy stranglers…

The film's screenplay is penned by Toby Harvard who is best known around these parts as the twisted mind behind such works as THE GREASY STRANGLER and the "G is for Grandad" segment from ABCS OF DEATH 2. And while this movie isn't as "out there" as those two projects, it still has a firm sense of how to bring out the crazy. This is one of the few movies I can think of where I'd venture to describe the violence on-hand as, well, bizarre. Not to get too deep into what you can expect from the movie, but let me just say that it at times involves shite-caked pens and hunchbacks.

In the end, the film's funny first half might have some fright flick fans wondering how this is a horror movie, as each and everything we see seems to suggest this is merely a quirky indie-comedy. But trust me, stick with it, and once the other shoe drops in the film's second half, you will be rewarded. This is the kind of movie you make your friends watch and then keep stealing glances at them as the shenanigans onscreen get weirder and weirder. This is the kind of movie I recommend to you guys and then delight in thoughts of the looks on your faces as barbecue forks are put to good use. Love it or hate it, I bet you keep the cycle going too after you see it. Sure to be one of the few, if only, gross-out tearjerkers you'll ever see.

COME TO DADDY will be getting a Digital, VOD, and limited theatrical release on February 7, 2020.