Luke McWilliams gives his verdict of the comedy thriller Come to Daddy.
The troubled Norval Greenwood (Elijah Wood), follows a map to a secluded cabin overlooking the ocean, to meet his estranged father for the first time in decades. Soon, their relationship becomes very strained to say the least!
Wood is best known for his role as Frodo in Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy. Since then, he has had an eclectic career, both as actor and producer.
Wearing a John Waters pencil moustache, skivvy and all-black outfit, Norval looks odd from the get-go. We see that he is worlds apart from his grouchy old father, a man who has chosen to leave Norval and Norval’s mother to live his own life far away from the reaches of society. Wanting to gain his father’s approval, Norval colours his own life with elements of success, thus starting a match of wills that inevitably disappoints both players.
Usual producer Ant Timpson, in his directorial debut, based this story on his experience at the week-long wake of his father, where unknown people shared stories of a man that did not seem like his father to him. Timpson mixes the macabre with elements of dark comedy, exploring themes of the relationship between father and son: rivalries and rites of passage to manhood and familial love.
Verdict: A gory, off-beat thriller which keeps you on your toes. A great directorial debut! 4 stars.
Come to Daddy is now available for VOD viewing via Umbrella Entertainment’s website, and on Google Play and iTunes from mid-April.
- Luke McWilliams | themovieclub.net
