Reviewing "Come To Daddy": A clever, bloody thriller with unexpected twists

Come To Daddy is a thriller film directed by Ant Timpson and starring Elijah Wood. Wood plays a sheltered young man who has gone to his long-lost father's beach house to reconnect with him after receiving a letter, but things take a strange, dark turn fast as his father's behavior gets more confrontational.

The plot is hard to talk about further without spoiling the twists halfway through the film. Let's just say that the first half sets up a certain expectation that is greatly subverted about halfway through the film with a sudden twist, then seems to set up some other expectations only to subvert them too. The result is a film that is thrilling to watch as things get very crazy, with someone wielding a flaming crossbow. Yes, you read that right, a flaming crossbow! The writing is clever but the film is also quite bloody, and while there isn't really a lot of gore, it is quite visceral nonetheless.

The performances are fantastic. Elijah Wood plays a sheltered, insecure man to perfection, showing that he is actually quite pathetic for all his apparent wealth, doing almost nothing with his life. His father as played by Stephen McHattie is also magnetic to watch in his gradually more and more deranged performance. Martin Donovan and Michael Smiley are also great, with Smiley giving a deliciously menacing turn as the psychotic yet hugely entertaining criminal Jethro, who has a flaming crossbow!

The film also deals with themes of parental abandonment, of living life and taking things for granted while also serving up heaps of pitch-black comedy.

All in all, a fantastic film with excellent direction, great humor, and entertaining performances, particularly from Elijah Wood, Stephen McHattie, and Michael Smiley.

Score: 8/10