'Come to Daddy' Movie Review

From longtime horror film producer, but first time director, Ant Timpson, Come to Daddy is the classic tale of a son, Norval (Elijah Wood), attempting to reconnect with his estranged father (Stephen McHattie), who abandoned him and his mother when Norval was little. However, Norval’s dad is extremely competitive and macho, and in an effort to gain his respect, Norval keeps trying to impress him. But their pissing contest goes horribly awry, and it leads down a dark and twisted rabbit hole.

I’ve always had a taste for the bizarre and off-kilter. The writer of Come to Daddy is a guy named Toby Harvard, who also co-wrote another bizarre horror-comedy I enjoyed called The Greasy Strangler (which Wood actually produced). While this film isn’t nearly as sick and depraved as The Greasy Strangler, you can definitely still see some similarities. The dialogue is (quite intentionally) awkward and strange, and both deal with a tenuous father-son relationship with hilarious results. I think Come to Daddy is actually a little better than The Greasy Strangler. It’s more streamlined and coherent. Don’t get me wrong, both are great, but this one slightly edges out the other.

One of the best things about Come to Daddy is just how unpredictable it is. Go into this one as blind as possible, because it takes many unexpected turns. Given that it’s a horror-comedy, it’s great for it to be full of surprises, as both genres, separately, rely heavily on them. The humor in the movie is very odd and quirky, and sometimes quite dark, but it’s always very clever. There are lots of great, brutal sight gags, and I’m just a sucker for those. Be forewarned, this movie will not be for everyone’s tastes. As I said before, while it doesn’t go nearly as far as The Greasy Strangler, you can still see some similarities here and there. It’s not even necessarily reliant on gross-out gags, though there are a few. It’s mostly just uncomfortable, but for obvious comic effect. If you enjoy this type of weirdness, though, you’ll probably have a good time.

Elijah Wood seems to be taking a similar career path to that of Daniel Radcliffe and/or Robert Pattinson. All three got the majority of their recognition from a big blockbuster franchise, and since then, have chosen mostly to do very strange, quirky projects that they can now afford to do. I really like that about these actors. Elijah Wood does a great job, and I think a lot of people really underestimate his versatility as an actor. Stephen McHattie is always a treat, and he’s awesome in this movie. I really want to see him get more work, because he’s one of the most underrated character actors working today.

One of the main themes of the movie is regret, and seeking closure for said regrets. Oddly enough, as silly as it is, the film handles the subject matter with a surprising amount of sobriety. Norval never really knew his father, nor vice versa. And neither are exactly what the other expected. It’s interesting seeing the film take the time to really address the characters’ motives and struggles, considering how ludicrous most of it is. And surprisingly, it works. There are also some scenes in which the horror is actually played fairly straight. A couple of scenes in particular are incredibly tense, as you’re waiting for the other shoe to inevitably drop. I think most of the best horror-comedies tend to have at least a couple of genuinely frightening moments, so I always appreciate that.

Come to Daddy is a strange combination of gritty violence, bizarre humor, palpable suspense, and just the right amount of sincerity. It handles its underlying themes genuinely, but it also does anything but shy away from making the viewer uncomfortable, be it from the more tense moments or the goofier ones.

SCORE: 4.5/5