Benjamin Barfoot’s horror comedy, Double Date, is one of the funniest British genre films since Shaun of the Dead. The film won over the FrightFest crowd when it played in 2017, but despite getting a small theatrical release, remains tragically underseen. Those that have sought out Double Date have been smitten with the world and the characters that Barfoot and his writer and star, Danny Morgan, created. Now after several years away, Barfoot is back in the horror genre, for the far more serious Daddy’s Head.
Those that are familiar with Double Date could be forgiven for thinking that, given its title, Daddy’s Head is a sequel. This title however, is instead a strange coincidence as Daddy’s Head is the polar opposite of Double Date at each and every juncture. Set within the walls of an remote luxurious house, Daddy’s Head follows Laura (Julia Brown) as she finds herself the sole guardian of her stepson Isaac (Rupert Turmbull) after the sudden death of her husband. Whilst struggling with her grief and elevated responsibility, the young bride also finds herself tormented by an eerie creature that resembles her deceased husband.
Daddy’s Head is a slow burn onslaught of terror as Barfoot slowly and carefully crafts a near toxic environment for his characters. As Laura falls apart, young Isaac is left to his own devices. Consumed by feelings of grief, not only for his father, but for his mother who passed away beforehand, he is adrift from the world around him. As the adult, Laura should be looking after him, but instead she turns to the wine bottle to numb her pain. Isaac then has to fend for himself. It is in his isolation that he too is visited by a strange apparition. The differing stances on the arrival of this entity cause the divide between Isaac and Laura to widen ever further, and leaves the viewer in the position of having to take sides.
Even before the more frightening elements begin to make themselves known, there is mistrust between adult and child. This grows even further as Daddy’s Head progresses, paranoia feeding into the narrative beautifully. Laura becomes convinced that Isaac is playing tricks on her, and in turn Isaac is distrustful of Laura’s increasing closeness to one of his father’s friends. This situation alone would be tricky enough to traverse, and could make for fascinating viewing, but by using it as the foundation for the horror to come is genius work from Barfoot.
A cold, dank, near stifling atmosphere presses down upon every frame of Daddy’s Head. The grief that both Isaac and Laura are experiencing mixes with fear and the grey environment to create a space that is entirely unwelcoming. The stern architecture of the building, devised by Isaac’s father, serves to reinforce this numb sensation, trapping the viewer right alongside the boy and his stepmother. Barfoot isn’t content to simply conjure an air of depression, he’s also keen to craft some scares, and he achieves that tenfold. The unexpected arrival of the creature catches the audience by surprise, straddling them and spiking the blood pumping early on. Barfoot then follows this sequence with several perfectly constructed shots at the creature, each one more disturbing than the last, all providing great WTF moments.
Although not the fun and charming horror jaunt that some might be expecting given Double Date, Daddy’s Head is exceptionally well crafted. With his new film, Benjamin Barfoot affirms that he is not only capable of creating more traditional scares, he excels at them. Sustaining an atmosphere of dread is no easy task, but nearly every second of Daddy’s Head is steeped in suffocating dread. Having shown two very different sides to his horror style, we look forward to whatever nightmare Barfoot conjures next.
Daddy’s Head
Summary
The perfect chiller to settle in with on a cold autumn evening, Daddy’s Head is crammed full of disturbing imagery and stomach-churning tension.
Daddy’s Head was reviewed at Fantastic Fest 2024. Daddy’s Head will be released on Shudder from 11th October.
