There comes a time in every film fan’s life that we start to feel as though we have seen everything there is to see in our little corner of horror or sci-fi or [insert genre here]. A moment in which we can guess the ending, ready ourselves for the jump scare and even become ambivalent about the very make-up of what keeps us coming back to the well. Soon after one of these moments, a film is released that kisses the sweet spot and reinvigorates our passion for the genre, in this case, horror. Recently, films like Hereditary or A Quiet Place have hit so hard that the mainstream audiences come ‘a calling too. Father of Flies deserves to sit up there with not only the aforementioned giants but all the giants.
We aren’t going to give anything away here, as going into the movie with nary an idea of the style or plot is a must. Father of Flies is, perhaps, what happens when Hitchcock and Kubrick collide – big names indeed, but more than worthy of the accolade. The film takes nearly all the tropes of horror cinema and at times eschews them, gentle caressing them or flipping them on their head. There are not one, but two ridiculously creepy moments this well-versed writer has never seen on screen before.
What of the acting, that most singular of things to derail serious horror? Impeccable on every level. Nicholas Tucci, to whom the film is dedicated, essays the role of a father clinging on to any semblance of familial normality. Camilla Rutherford shines as the movie’s ‘cuckoo’, as does Page Ruth. The movie, though, belongs to Keaton Tetlow as the youngest of the clan, sidestepping the usual ‘annoying kid’ and instead, proving likeable and able to commit fear and a myriad of emotions to celluloid.
The film is best described as a haunting tale of family life and that really is all you need to know. That and perhaps it is the most suspense-filled cinematic experience we have had in a long, long time, boiling up towards an ending that knocks the wind out of you, leaving you speechless and thinking about it for days.
Father of Flies is available on digital now.
