Don't Wake Daddy

Director - Allison Marie Rogers

Starring - Kaza Jobalia (Street Sweeper), John Bibby (Between Mercy and Me, America's Prayer), and Ava Inman (The United States of Horror: Chapter 3, The Calling of Lizzy McBride)

Release Date - 2023

Genre - Horror

Format - Streaming (Online Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     

     I love digging into indie horror films.  Seeing someone's idea come to life before me is something that makes indie cinema so enjoyable.  Hell, even if I don't like the movie I still find myself enjoying the experience.  I know how much work goes into a film and I hate when something is sent over to review that I don't get into.  I respect the hell out of them but not every movie is for me.  A few weeks back my friend Richard Russell asked me to review a short that a friend of his made.  The film, Don't Wake Daddy, was directed by Allison Marie Rogers and starred Kaza Jobalia, John Bibby, and Ava Inman.  I want to thank Richard for reaching out to me and Allison for allowing Horror Society and myself the opportunity to check it out.

     The film follows a loving father and husband who works to provide for his family and doesn't ask for anything in return.  However, his daughter sees something behind him every time she looks at him.  It's a creature that she has named the Red Man.  However, as his sleep becomes inconsistent and difficult for him, the Red Man takes over killing his wife and prompting his daughter to protect herself.  

     I went into this knowing nothing about the short but I did have that damn catchphrase from the board game of the same name stuck in my head the entire fucking time.  The short has a lot of promise and I could see myself getting behind the story if there was more to it.  I absolutely adore horror shorts because they pack so much into a short run time.  However, Don't Wake Daddy doesn't give the viewer enough to latch on to.  The acting in this one is very well done.  The cast is small and their imdb pages are just as small but they do a wonderful job in front of the camera.  The characters they bring to life is very convincing.  The viewer gets a sense that they area real family.  That's something a lot of films fail to do but this short nails that aspect.  The cast is wonderful and I could see them appearing in other genre efforts.  The story for this one has a very interesting premise but it doesn't explore or explain itself fully.  I liked the idea of the dad losing possession of his body while he sleeps and the "red man" takes over but why is he there?  Or is he really not there and the daughter is just deranged?  We have a very interesting idea but it's not fully explored or brought to the screen.  Finally, the film has two deaths with a little blood and some make-up effects.  It's nothing memorable but it does fit the film very well.  Overall, Don't Wake Daddy is an interesting idea but there has to be a bit more meat on the bone for viewers to enjoy it.  I really enjoyed the cast and I liked what was trying to be done but a little more time set on backstory or family history would have went a long way.