Come to Daddy is one of those fabulous films that would be way too easy to spoil. I have to resist telling you much about the plot, therefore. And besides, this film is only just about its story. Instead, it’s about men: their unique personalities and the bonds between them.
The film opens with Norval (Elijah Wood) arriving at the home of his estranged father, who he’s not seen since the man walked out thirty years ago, when Norval was five. He’s clearly nervous, but he’s had a letter asking him to come, so giving his father the benefit of the doubt. We see a wary evening of getting to know each other, each with their own brand of machismo and posturing. It’s funny at this stage, because of how contrasting the pair are, but also damned uncomfortable.
Then Come to Daddy changes, and changes again; bringing in more outlandish characters and unbelievable scenes. While at the same time demonstrating to Norval that there’s nothing he can do about his bond with his father. It’s there, whether he likes it or not.
As well as Norval, who is a stiffly flamboyant young man, Come to Daddy features gangsters, gamblers, geologists, a prostitute and a rather lovely coroner. Honestly, it goes all over the place. But you’ll be expecting that right from the opening, when you see quotations from both Shakespeare and Beyonce on the screen.
For the most part, Come to Daddy is set in one location, a large, remote log cabin between water and woods. And wow, what a beautiful house. The camera really relishes both the scale and the detail of this set, and indeed the forest that Norval traipses through to get to it. Cinematographer Daniel Katz (My Friend Dahmer) is known for bringing out both mood and details, especially with lighting, and this film certainly makes the most of those skills.
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In contrast, writer Toby Harvard and (first time) director Ant Timpson have a much more, well, let’s say grubby background, in films such as Deathgasm and The Greasy Strangler. The blend of horror/drama with comedy works just as well in Come to Daddy as it did in those earlier films; fitting together neatly, rather than clumsily. And yet this is neither a black comedy at heart nor a satire. You can probably guess how violent it gets from those other films the team has worked on, but I promise you won’t guess what actually happens.
Best of all is the cast. None of the three key players in Come to Daddy have played a dud role as far as I know. Elijah Wood, one of the most versatile actors of his generation, is joined by Martin Donovan and Michael Smiley – each playing parts unlike anything I’ve seen them play before and yet utterly at home in those roles.
Come to Daddy has so much more packed into its ninety-three minutes than the tentative start may lead you to expect. I loved it and I have no doubt I’ll watch it again. Look out for it’s UK release early 2020.
