Grief can be an all-consuming affair. While adults struggle with their difficult emotions, the kids have it harder. They witness someone dear to them leave their world but cannot comprehend how or why it happens. In that delicate age, they often do not realize the irrevocability of death. “Daddy’s Head” explores the same themes through a horror tale. It follows a young boy struggling to cope with his father’s recent death. As it happens, his stepmother faces her own emotional struggles. Written and directed by Benjamin Barfoot, this film is now streaming on Shudder.
Spoilers Ahead
Daddy’s Head (2024) Plot Summary & Movie Synopsis:
Benjamin Barfoot’s “Daddy’s Head” on Shudder revolves around a boy and his stepmother facing the threat of a mysterious creature shortly after the death of the boy’s dead father. Rupert Turnbull stars as the young boy while Julia Brown stars as his stepmother. Charles Aitken plays the boy’s dead father and Nathaniel Martello-White plays Laura’s close friend.
What happens in ‘Daddy’s Head’ on Shudder?
“Daddy’s Head” follows Isaac (Rupert Turnbull), barely a tween, meeting his father James (Charles Aitken) in the hospital with his stepmother Laura (Julia Brown). At the time, James’ head is covered fully in bandages. So, Laura cannot look at him for long and walks out. However, Isaac stays in the room with his father. After James passes away, Laura drives Isaac back home. She tries her best to bond with the kid. However, he makes it harder for her to do so. With both his parents dead, he must cope with the intense feelings of loss.
As James’ legal spouse, Laura receives most of his property and assets. Furthermore, in his will, James asks to be buried next to his first wife, Susan in a garden he specifically built for Isaac to visit her. James did not get a chance to change this clause after Susan’s death. So, Laura makes peace with his wishes. Then comes the question of Isaac’s guardianship. The social services appoints Mary (Mary Woodvine) to take care of his mental health. However, since either James or Susan had no siblings, Isaac had no next of kin. So, Mary requests Laura to consider being her guardian. Having met her before, Mary trusts Laura with this responsibility.
Laura’s Predicament
While Laura had been living with James for a while, she had not been that close to Isaac. So, he does not treat her as his mother. Even after James’ death, he does not treat her with compassion. Despite her noble intentions, Laura feels dejected. Since she is fairly young, her mother suggests she return home and not take on Isaac’s responsibility. Laura’s divorced friend, Robert (Nathaniel Martello-White) lends her an ear to open up. She reveals that she married James because she wanted to be with him, and not to be a mother. Now, she does not want to abandon Isaac but is not mentally prepared to take care of him. So, Robert offers help to ease her burden.
Robert hopes Isaac can get through to him but all he can provide is some emotional comfort. Even though James is dead, Isaac refuses to believe it. The morning after Robert’s visit, Isaac wakes up to find a wildfire in the woods nearby. Later, Laura wakes up in the middle of the night to find blue, flashing lights. She walks in its direction to find an abandoned car and a near-skeletal figure. It’s not clear whether she saw it or dreamt it. Anyhow, after James’ funeral, Isaac sees Robert comforting her. Then, at night, after the guests leave, she tries to drink away her sorrows. She turns the music loud and wakes him up.
Isaac tries to wake her up but to no avail. Then, suddenly, their dog starts barking and runs toward a window. Laura wakes up petrified and finds a wounded dog next to a broken window. She temporarily tapes it, goes back to bed, and allows Isaac to sleep next to her. This terrifying incident brings them closer as a mother and a son.
Issac’s Visions
The night Isaac sleeps next to Laura, he has a strange dream. He sees a masked figure that resembles his dead father. Since Isaac does not speak much with Laura, Robert comes to support her. They talk about what scared their dog the night before. Robert believes it may have been just an animal. Regardless, Robert’s presence bothers Isaac, probably because Isaac sees him as a threat, as someone who wants to replace his father. At midnight, Isaac hears someone near-gurgling his name. The next day, he walks out into the woods by himself. He notices an eerie figure behind the bush, which resembles his father.
Suddenly, their dog runs out toward this figure. Isaac screams that his father never left him, claiming this figure is his father. So, Mary shows up to check on Isaac’s condition. She realizes that Isaac wants to believe his father is alive and thus, sharing these stories. However, instead of doubting him, she wants Laura to make Isaac believe they trust his visions so they can understand the root of his trauma response. Laura behaves accordingly. She sees Isaac’s drawings of the creature he claims to be his father. Then, she joins him for a walk in the woods. There, they notice an elaborate wooden structure.
Laura forbids Isaac from entering but he punches her. So, she pulls him back home. Unsure how to take Isaac’s care, Laura calls Robert and impulsively asks him to be Isaac’s foster parent and take care of him like his two daughters.
Daddy’s Head (2024) Movie Ending Explained:
Laura tries to discipline Isaac but he punches her in the face and hurts her. She worries he will get older and she won’t be able to control him. So, Robert shows up. He thinks she should not worry much. James has already helped her with financial freedom. He believes Laura needs to only be present in Isaac’s life. Then, he opens up about his divorce. He says he was lonely in his marriage and had an affair, which ended his marriage. It makes Laura trust him a bit lesser. She decides to keep checking on Isaac’s room through a security camera.
The same night, Robert sees their dog run out into the woods. He tries to control it but fails. The next day, they find it in a miserable state. After its death, Robert starts spending more time with Laura to help her take Isaac’s care. That night, Isaac hears some strange sound from the air vent. Suddenly, he sees his dog in the vent passageway. Moments later, it vanishes. Then, he peeks inside to notice James inside. James tells Isaac not to trust Robert or others, and claims they are lying to him. Through the video footage, Laura also sees it but Robert doesn’t.
Robert thinks Laura saw what she did because she is drunk and not thinking clearly because of her trauma. Once Mary shows up, Laura starts crying hysterically. She kisses Robert but he does not take it further. He understands that she is overwhelmed and acting out for the same reason. Isaac notices this and feels Laura betrayed his father. So, he runs out toward the wooden structure in the wood to meet James.
Do Isaac and Laura manage to process their grief?
Unsure how to take care of Isaac, Laura asks Robert to be his father. Robert joins Isaac toward the wooden structure and agrees to walk in with him. Isaac refuses that. Moments later, they both see James’ strange figure inside. It hurts Robert so much that he gets hospitalized. At night, Laura senses a presence next to her. She walks out to Isaac’s room to see James’ strange figure, which creeps her out. Laura gets wounded as it approaches Isaac. Laura gets hold of a knife and stabs it to death.
Years later, a few years older Isaac (James Harper-Jones) looks at the same air vent window in his room. He walks out to the wooden structure and steps inside to find a skeleton. Then, he returns home to be with Laura. This time, he calls her his mum. So, the ending of “Daddy’s Head” indicates that Isaac and Laura got over their differences, and processed their grief, which allowed Isaac to accept Laura as his mother. With this conclusion, the film becomes a metaphorical tale that reflects the complicated process of grieving and the acceptance of a life without your loved ones.
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