Come To Daddy (2020) - Movie Review

Time for another ride on the Elijah Wood fucked-up indie train, although we’re not dealing with a Spectrevision production this time around. Instead, we’re looking at the feature-length directorial debut of Ant Timpson, a New Zealand film producer better known for spearheading the horror anthology series The ABCs Of Death, as well as his profoundly graphic production logo at the front of previous review subject The Greasy Strangler. And with the writer of Greasy Strangler, Toby Harvard, in tow, chances are this is going to be something uniquely bizarre.

At its core, this is basically the same story as Greasy Strangler: An off-kilter look at a father-son relationship, filled with colourful uses of profanity and occasional bullshitting from the leads about how close they are to certain musical artists. Timpson reportedly based his take on the material after his own experiences when his father passed away, and there’s definite showings of estrangement and grief in the film’s DNA. As we see Elijah Wood’s highly pretentious artist Norval reconnecting with his father after decades apart, feelings of resentment and disbelief populate the frame, echoing a fair bit of The Shining and even Doctor Sleep in the details of their strained relationship.

It’s weirdly sobering for a film made by creatives behind some of the weirdest features of the last decade, but that’s part of the point: If you think you know what to expect, even with those names attached, think again. What begins as a sombre look at abandonment and fractured familial connections soon turns batshit, featuring a seedy hotel, an ill-fated attempt to escape shackles, and what is quite literally the shittiest pen ever seen on film. Getting into any further detail would involve spoiling the film’s bigger developments, which ain’t happening here so don’t worry, but considering the theme of estrangement and questioning how much you think you know someone who’s been so absent from your life, it fits surprisingly well.

However, there is definite showing here that Timpson isn’t as familiar with being in the director’s chair as he is in the producer’s. The method behind the story structure may be evident, but the pacing and tone doesn’t end up holding strong enough to make the entire affair engaging. Part of that is due to the primarily-dour mood of the piece, which makes even the crazier moments feel toned-down and unfortunately not as impactful as they could have been. Hell of a trick to pull off, considering what we see characters doing with barbeque forks and check spindles, but it lacks the cohesiveness of something like Greasy Strangler, or even the wild inventiveness of The ABCs.

But that’s ultimately a minor niggle, as it’s not every film that’s able to balance wonky-bonkers genre violence with genuinely thoughtful examinations of daddy issues. Hell, it might handle that dichotomy better than Greasy Strangler, which definitely puts this film in my good graces. Timpson may have a bit of work left if he wants to keep up as a director, but between the story, the acting (Elijah Wood likewise proves his worth outside of a producer’s role in the lead) and the eclectic soundtrack, I’d still say it’s worth checking out.