Quartile rating: 6.5/10 · 1 rating
After receiving a cryptic letter from his estranged father, Norval travels to his dad’s oceanfront home for what he hopes will be a positive experience. If only he’d known the dark truth about his old man beforehand.
Come to Daddy is a genuinely distinctive genre mashup that earns its Novelty score through its unpredictable tonal shifts and bizarre escalation — what begins as a slow-burn family drama pivots into something far weirder and more violent. Elijah Wood commits fully to the awkward, affectation-laden Norval, and the supporting cast delivers memorably odd performances, though nothing transcends competent. Cinematography captures the isolated coastal setting with atmosphere but doesn't particularly distinguish itself visually. The plot is inventive in its mid-film structural twist, keeping viewers genuinely off-balance. The ending, however, loses momentum — the third act's resolution feels rushed and somewhat deflating after the wild tonal promise of the first two acts, undercutting the film's otherwise singular energy.