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Seeing his father's face looking back at him through the narrow confines of the air vent in his bedroom was unnerving in itself, but what made it even more terrifying for young Isaac is the foreboding fact that his dad recently died in a car accident. That's just one of many nightmarish images and question-raising scenarios witnessed by a boy and his struggling stepmother when their isolated postmodern house by the woods is stalked by something wearing an all-too-familiar face in Daddy's Head.

With the new horror film now streaming on Shudder, Daily Dead had the great pleasure of talking with Benjamin Barfoot about writing, directing, editing, and composing the music for Daddy's Head, which explores the effects of family-fueled grief and expertly walks the line between ambiguous horror and straightforward scares, leaving you wondering what exactly is real until the film's pivotal final frame.

You can watch our in-depth interview with Benjamin Barfoot below,...

Written and directed by Benjamin Barfoot, Daddy’s Head is a must-watch if you enjoy horror films that do not explicitly explain what unfolds on screen. The beauty lies in its design, which is meant to keep the audience guessing. There are no right or wrong explanations—the vague element of horror can be interpreted in multiple ways. In this article, we will try and understand the various horror tropes used by Barfoot to tell the story of a deceased father and his haunting head!

Spoiler Alert

What is the film about?

Isaac (Rupert Turnbull) and his stepmother, Laura (Julia Brown), found themselves in a strange situation after Isaac’s father, James, passed away. James’ sudden demise had affected Isaac and Laura in ways beyond their imagination. The little boy had recently lost his mother, and before he could cope with the loss, his father died in an accident. Isaac was...

Filmmaker Benjamin Barfoot brings eerie atmosphere and new nightmare fuel in the form of a terrifying creature in Daddy’s Head, and an exclusive new clip introduces just one of many bone-chilling scares.

Daddy’s Head debuts exclusively on Shudder on October 11.

In the film, “In the wake of his father’s untimely death, a young boy is left in the eerie solitude of a sprawling country estate with his newly widowed stepmother. Struggling to navigate the overwhelming task of parenthood, his stepmother grows distant, leaving their fragile bond at risk of collapse. Amidst the growing tension, the boy begins to hear unsettling sounds echoing through the corridors and is soon haunted by the presence of a grotesque creature bearing a disturbingly familiar resemblance to his late father.

“As the boy’s warnings are dismissed as the imagination of a grieving child, the sinister entity tightens its grip on their crumbling lives.

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 realise 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...

Despite its title’s oddly dirty undertones, “Daddy’s Head” is a cerebral metaphor about working through change and processing grief. At least, that’s what it wants to be in theory.

Like phrenology (the outdated practice of mapping skull bumps to diagnose illnesses elsewhere in the body), Benjamin Barfoot’s second feature suggests an arcane method to the writer/director’s madness. This remixed successor of both the 1998 family drama “Stepmom” and the horror classic “The Babadook” can feel like blindly fingering across someone else’s scalp at times. It starts as a simple story about a young widow (Julia Brown) raising her orphaned stepson (Rupert Turnbull) after a car crash kills her husband (Charles Aitken), but the plot takes on a monster mythology that’s almost too esoteric to grasp.

The script’s symbolism is annoyingly dense to decipher, and the opaque quality Barfoot’s story develops as it...

Where is Daddy’s head?

When Isaac (Rupert Turnbull) is sent into the hospital room to say goodbye, he is confronted with a figure swathed in bandages, being kept alive by machines. The figure cannot respond – probably isn’t even aware of his presence. Most disturbingly for a young child, he does not appear to have a face.

Without seeing a man he can identify as his father, Isaac understandably finds it hard to let go, hard to believe that he’s really dead. To make matters worse, there is no-one he can trust available to help him adjust. His mother died some years ago, he has no siblings, and his stepmother Laura (Julia Brown), who never wanted children and is consumed by her own grief, is not at all convinced that she can look after him. She agrees to try only because the alternative is him being put into care.

Director Benjamin Barfoot explores how heartbreak connects with darkness as pre-teen Isaac sees his dead father return

A monster, or the supernatural, as a manifestation of uncontainable emotions is hardly a new idea, especially as so-called elevated horror has leaned into the concept – perhaps because of the classier, grounded psychological element it lends genre fare. New Brit chiller Daddy’s Head adopts this increasingly familiar tactic, and just about succeeds in freshening it up with a superlative creature and great production design.

Preteen Isaac (Rupert Turnbull) has had the misfortune to lose not one, but both parents, when his architect father James (Charles Aitken) is killed in a car accident shortly after his mother’s death. This leaves Isaac marooned with stepmother Laura (Julia Brown) in an isolated showpiece home in the forest where, in their separate corners, both struggle with their grief. She swallows her misgivings, and lots of red wine,...

Benjamin Barfoot's feature debut, Daddy's Head, abides by anonymous tendencies of eerie folkloric horror. There aren't outright explanations — storytelling is handled with the lightest touch. You're plunged into a family's confrontation with a nameless doppeldemon preying on their grief-stricken state. Barfoot doesn't care why said entity is attacking or from whence it came. Daddy's Head focuses on a woodland creature with frightening features that include what's mentioned in the title. Barfoot excels when unleashing his monster's creepiest attacks, but the story tends to trudge forward without feeling complete. Your patience for whimsical, ungraspable horrors will be tested — unless that's entirely your vibe.

In Daddy's Head, Daddy's dead. Young Isaac (Rupert Turnbull) grieves his deceased father, James (Charles Aitken), taken off life support after a car accident. Isaac now lives in forested isolation with stepmother Laura (Julia Brown), who openly admits she's not in a motherhood mentality. The orphaned son...

Of all the streaming services out there, Shudder is arguably the best one to have during the trick-or-treating season. While plenty of other streaming platforms offer viewers something scary next month, Shudder is the only one with nothing but frightening movies of nearly every variety. With a leg up on its competition, the streaming service will undoubtedly be the one place viewers will find all their new favorite horror films.

From found footage films to movies about demonic possessions, Shudder has nearly every subgenre heading to the platform in the coming weeks. While some films might be a bit too creepy for the next movie night, there are plenty of others worth watching as the Halloween season quickly rolls in. Whether viewers prefer eerie monsters or the end of days, the streaming service has an abundance of options slated to arrive next month, which will surely scratch that spooky itch.

Benjamin Barfoot’s 2020 film Daddy’s Head tells a haunting story of loss and grief through a genuinely unsettling atmosphere and quietly impactful performances. The movie centers on young Isaac, who is left orphaned after the sudden death of his father, and his reluctant stepmother Laura, tasked with caring for him in their remote, foreboding home. As the two struggle with their own trauma, mysterious hauntings begin to escalate, creating a suffocating sense of dread. Though leaving some plot details ambiguous, Barfoot crafts an emotionally raw portrayal of grief through deft use of setting and subtle clues in a suspenseful slow-burn style that stays with the viewer long after.

From the outset, Barfoot immerses us in Isaac and Laura’s isolating sorrow. After the funeral, retreating further into the countryside, their large, dark house becomes an inescapable maze of memories and regrets. Through meticulous shots of gloomy hallways and creaking staircases,...

Filmmaker Benjamin Barfoot brings the creep factor in Daddy’s Head, an eerie creature feature centered on grief. Set in the immediacy of a sudden, tragic loss, Barfoot’s sophomore feature initially appears to be yet another monster metaphor that draws clear parallels to The Babadook. Luckily, Daddy’s Head forgoes the obvious metaphor for a gnarlier, oblique story uninterested in handholding. While Barfoot’s refusal to overexplain may prove divisive, the filmmaker’s strong grasp of chilling horror imagery and pervading sense of dread gets under your skin.

Daddy’s Head introduces its leads, a solemn Lewis (Rupert Turnbull) and his stepmother Laura (Julia Brown), as they are summoned to a hospital bed to make their final goodbyes to Lewis’s father James (Charles Aitken), his face hidden beneath mounds of bloodied gauze. The sudden loss is shocking enough, but Lewis has no surviving family beyond his father’s new bride. That...

The official trailer for the upcoming psychological horror film Daddy's Head just dropped, and we're even more pumped up to see this movie after watching it. It's set to have its world premiere at Fantastic Fest on Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024, followed by a streaming release on Shudder on Friday, Oct. 11.

Daddy's Head was written and helmed by Benjamin Barfoot. He previously directed the horror-comedy Double Date as well as a couple of episodes of the British current affairs documentary programme Panorama. In addition, Matthew James Wilkinson and Patrick Tolan of Stigma Films produced this horror flick.

Rupert Turnbull as Isaac and Julia Brown as Laura in Daddy's Head. Courtesy of Rob Baker Ashton. A Shudder Release.

After his father passes away, a young boy named Isaac is left in the care of his grieving stepmother, Laura, since he has no next of kin. Together, they reside in a large country estate...

In the wake of the film’s World Premiere at Fantastic Fest this Sunday, September 22, Benjamin Barfoot’s horror movie Daddy’s Head is coming to Shudder on October 11.

Watch the official trailer for Daddy’s Head below.

“Daddy’s Head is a very important film for me as it intertwines personal feelings about family, grief and trauma with my desire to experiment with the horror genre,” Barfoot previews.

In the film, “In the wake of his father’s untimely death, a young boy is left in the eerie solitude of a sprawling country estate with his newly widowed stepmother. Struggling to navigate the overwhelming task of parenthood, his stepmother grows distant, leaving their fragile bond at risk of collapse. Amidst the growing tension, the boy begins to hear unsettling sounds echoing through the corridors, and is soon haunted by the presence of a grotesque creature bearing a disturbingly familiar resemblance to his late father.

A boy is haunted by a monster with fearful features of his recently deceased father in Benjamin Barfoot's new horror film Daddy's Head, and ahead of the movie's world premiere at Fantastic Fest on September 22nd (before heading to Shudder on October 11th), we have a look at the film's unsettling trailer.

Synopsis: In the wake of his father’s untimely death, a young boy is left in the eerie solitude of a sprawling country estate with his newly widowed stepmother. Struggling to navigate the overwhelming task of parenthood, his stepmother grows distant, leaving their fragile bond at risk of collapse. Amidst the growing tension, the boy begins to hear unsettling sounds echoing through the corridors, and is soon haunted by the presence of a grotesque creature bearing a disturbingly familiar resemblance to his late father. As the boy’s warnings are dismissed as the imagination of a grieving child,...

U.K. filmmaker Benjamin Barfoot is poised to break out at Fantastic Fest — the Austin home to the best in new genre cinema — this year with “Daddy’s Head.” The film, which also heads to Shudder in October in time for Halloween, follows a boy who is visited by an unexplainable creature. And one that seems to mimic a terrifying version of his recently dead father. The cast includes Julia Brown, Rupert Turnbull, Charles Aitken, and Nathaniel Martello-White. Watch the trailer, an IndieWire exclusive, below.

Here’s the official synopsis: “In the wake of his father’s untimely death, a young boy is left in the eerie solitude of a sprawling country estate with his newly widowed stepmother. His stepmother, struggling to navigate the overwhelming task of parenthood, grows distant, leaving their fragile bond at risk of collapse. Amidst the growing tension, the boy begins to hear unsettling sounds echoing through the corridors.

The all-horror streaming service Shudder has picked up North American rights to Benjamin Barfoot’s Daddy’s Head, Screen Daily reports, with the premiere set for October 11.

The outlet details, “Barfoot’s (Double Date) sophomore feature stars Julia Brown from BBC wartime series World On Fire and Rupert Turnbull from family musical Nativity Rocks! in the story of a boy and his recently widowed stepmother who are visited by a strange creature that appears to mimic a horrifying version of the boy’s recently deceased father.”

“Daddy’s Head is a very important film for me as it intertwines personal feelings about family, grief and trauma with my desire to experiment with the horror genre,” said Barfoot.

Check out a first look image up above and expect the trailer soon.

Matthew James Wilkinson and Patrick Tolan of Stigma Films produced the film.

The post Shudder Picks Up Horror Movie ‘Daddy...

Shudder has acquired North America, UK & Ireland and select territories to Daddy’s Head, Benjamin Barfoot’s follow-up to his Edinburgh film festival selection Double Date written by and starring former Screen International/FrightFest Genre Rising Star Danny Morgan.

Barfoot’s sophomore feature stars Julia Brown from BBC wartime series World On Fire and Rupert Turnbull from family musical Nativity Rocks! in the story of a boy and his recently widowed stepmother who are visited by a strange creature that appears to mimic a horrifying version of the boy’s recently deceased father.

The film is produced by Matthew James Wilkinson...

Filming is now underway on a creature feature titled Daddy’s Head, Deadline has revealed this morning, which comes from writer-director Benjamin Barfoot (Double Date).

“Amp is handling world sales and will be shopping the project at the upcoming European Film Market,” Deadline notes in their report.

In the film, “A boy and his young, recently widowed stepmother find themselves in fear for their lives after they are visited by a strange and unexplainable creature. Something that appears to mimic a horrifying version of the boy’s recently deceased father.”

Julia Brown (World On Fire), Rupert Turnbull (Nativity Rocks), Nathaniel Martello-White (Small Axe: Mangrove) and Charles Aitken star.

“Daddy’s Head is one of the most singularly original genre films I’ve ever read,” said executive producer James Norrie. “Combining rich and textured characters dealing with grief and the heart-breaking longing that a child experiences when losing a parent with...

Exclusive: Production began this week on Daddy’s Head, a psychological horror from writer-director Benjamin Barfoot (Double Date).

Mathew James Wilkinson (Yesterday) produces alongside Patrick Tolan (T.I.M) for Stigma films, with finance provided by Quickfire Films, Arthro Films, Shoutloud Creative, OnSight, and Capture.

Amp is handling world sales and will be shopping the project at the upcoming European Film Market.

Executive producers are Jan Pace and James Atherton for Quickfire, M J McMahon and Matthew Jones for Capture, Simon Marriott for Shoutloud Creative, James Owen for Arthro Films, Tony Maher for OnSight, and James Norrie, Nina Kolokouri, Bob Portal and Inderpal Singh for Amp.

The film’s full synopsis reads: A boy and his young, recently widowed stepmother find themselves in fear for their lives after they are visited by a strange and unexplainable creature. Something that appears to mimic a horrifying version of the boy’s recently deceased father.