COME TO DADDY (2019) REVIEW

Come to Daddy (2019) is a family reunion gone bad. When Norval Greenwood (Elijah Wood) arrives at his estranged father’s sea cabin for a long-awaited reunion, things don’t go to plan. Norval described by his father as a ‘spoilt man child’ who has struggled to live in his privilege Beverley Hills world, comes up against a drunken, erratic daddy. Once the mystery of his father is solved early on, I kept waiting for the next big reveal, hoping for another twist up its sleeve but it wasn’t to be. It was also a little cliché that eventually Norval was welcomed by his father with open arms, but along with the introduction of some very unsavoury bad guys, I can’t blame the film for wanting to embrace some happiness.

The combination of funny and sinister was a success, by the film not following a typical pattern or structure. Norval’s transition was bitty and unsure, and not at ease in the world which is maintained throughout. Even when he beats the baddies with a new wave of physical prowess, he still is not entirely sure of his actions, which I appreciated. Violence is rife so the humour is a much-needed antidote. Come to Daddy is a curious and stylish tale, and a well worth the hour and a half.

(Photography: Firefly Films/ Blinder Films/ Nowhere/ Scythia Films)

Come to Daddy, 2019 (film), directed by Ant TIMPSON. Canada: Firefly Films