'Daddy's Head' Reviews "Daddy’s Head is a slow burn onslaught of terror as Barfoot slowly and carefully crafts a near toxic environment for his characters"

         On October 11, 2024, Shudder released 'Daddy's Head', which has earned predominantly positive reviews from critics. In the film, "In the wake of his father's untimely death, a young boy is left in the eerie solitude of a sprawling country estate with his newly widowed stepmother. Struggling to navigate the overwhelming task of parenthood, his stepmother grows distant, leaving their fragile bond at risk of collapse. Amidst the growing tension, the boy begins to hear unsettling sounds echoing through the corridors, and is soon haunted by the presence of a grotesque creature bearing a disturbingly familiar resemblance to his late father. As the boy's warnings are dismissed as the imagination of a grieving child, the sinister entity tightens its grip on their crumbling lives." The ensemble cast includes Julia Brown, Rupert Turnbull, Charles Aitken, and Nathaniel Martello-White. Read the full review round-up below.

        Brian Tallerico of RogerEbert.com says, "Echoes of Folk Horror, “The Babadook,” and even “Under the Skin” weave through Benjamin Barfoot’s chilling study of the denial that often unfolds after the sudden loss of a loved one." Adding, "Clearly, there’s a lot to unpack in “Daddy’s Head.” Still, it all works primarily because of Barfoot’s oversight of the film’s sharp technical elements, including fantastic production design, cinematography, and editing. While I wish he had one or two fewer jump scares and a bit more refined CGI, what works here is the film’s overall mood more than individual moments. Most effectively, Barfoot and his team turn this cold, remote estate into a character—returning to it provides none of the standard warmth of a happy home. We can feel the chill in the air. He uses recurring imagery well, often employing circles and straight lines that make the haphazard fluidity of the monster and its home feel more anarchic and threatening. It doesn’t belong in this space. Even if it has Daddy’s head."

       Meagan Navarro of Bloody Disgusting notes, "Filmmaker Benjamin Barfoot brings the creep factor in Daddy’s Head, an eerie creature feature centered on grief. Set in the immediacy of a sudden, tragic loss, Barfoot’s sophomore feature initially appears to be yet another monster metaphor that draws clear parallels to The Babadook. Luckily, Daddy’s Head forgoes the obvious metaphor for a gnarlier, oblique story uninterested in handholding. While Barfoot’s refusal to overexplain may prove divisive, the filmmaker’s strong grasp of chilling horror imagery and pervading sense of dread gets under your skin."

Photo by Edgar Soto on Unsplash

       Kat Hughes of THN praises the film, stating, "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." Continuing, "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."