Come to Daddy — Movie Review
by KJ Proulx
Every now and then a weird movie will come along that intrigues me. One of the most surprisingly weird films I’ve seen in a while was The Lighthouse, so nothing is going to top that anytime soon, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have a blast watching Come to Daddy. When you mesh an interesting premise with odd twists, usually you can hold my attention, but the fact that it also embraces everything being presented and completely delivers is just an added bonus. While I can’t exactly recommend this film to all audiences, it’s worth a watch for those who enjoy weird stuff. I think I enjoyed this film as much as I did, simply because it’s not just weird, but also heartfelt.
Come to Daddy follows Norval (Elijah Wood), a man who hasn’t seen his father in years, as he travels to reconnect with him after receiving a letter, stating that his father wished to see him again. That premise is really just the first act of the movie, due to many unexpected occurrences. Each act continued to surprise me, even though the finale sort of felt a little been-there-done-that. It takes a few leaps throughout its 95-minute run time, but if you find yourself engaged by these story shifts, I think you’ll enjoy it as I did.
The Lord of the Rings trilogy is what put Elijah Wood on the map and he has seemed to mostly do independent films ever since. For this reason, most mainstream audiences probably don’t even realize he’s still out there giving really solid performances. His odd persona in this film was both engaging, yet incredibly eerie. The journey his character goes on is slightly unbelievable but ultimately works as a great arc for the character himself. I highly suggest, even if you don’t watch this film, to seek out other work Elijah Wood has done because he really does continue to be a great actor.
Where this film may lose some viewers is after the second act kicks into gear, simply because the film becomes much more of a thriller/slasher film. It pretty much goes from a father and son reconnecting to the main character fighting for his life. This shift will probably be too much for some viewers and there are even moments of violence that will make some viewers sick to their stomachs, so be wary. There is really only one moment like that in particular, but I still feel the need to mention it.
In the end, Come to Daddy is one of the more enjoyable films that I’ve seen in quite some time that has seemed to go under the radar all the way until home release. I’m reviewing it now because this was the first time it was even available to me. So, if you’re into a weird premise, as long as it’s fun and told well, I would absolutely recommend checking this one out. I had more fun with Come to Daddy than I was expecting and I feel that some viewers will share in that experience. It is a huge mess at times in terms of where it wants to take the story, but it’s ultimately satisfying.
Rating: 4/5
Check out the trailer below:
