[FrightFest 2022] Daughter

Daughter (2022)
Directed by: Corey Deshon
Written by: Corey Deshon

DAUGHTER
Directed by Corey Deshon

One of the most rewarding things about FrightFest is finding new blood. Here, we witness the debut of writer/director/producer Corey Deshon with this fantastic little slice of familial horror. There is an immediately arresting little film, opening with a disturbing scene in which a teenage girl is chased and killed by a father and his kid in hazmat suits over a 70s-style soundtrack and credit sequence. Then, cut to another young woman, played by Vivien Ngô, who has been abducted as a replacement by the same family. Known simply by her assigned name, Daughter, she is made to fulfil the role of a surrogate sibling for their son, Brother. Will she face the same fate? Her new family ties are strict and strange, but she needs to navigate them if she has any chance of making it out alive. Still, as her new parents frequently remind her, it’s only going to be for two years. Why that long? Watch and learn.

Since the film is a chamber piece, almost entirely set in the same house, much of the heavy lifting comes down to the script. So when Father started belting out scripture, I was immediately deterred. Perhaps it’s a conditioned response from growing up Catholic, but at this point, I think I’ve seen a few too many films about religious maniacs. Fortunately, there is much more to it than this – Deshon has created a slow, deliberate piece in which each family relationship is well realised and unique (look out for how the different framing mimics their emotional distances too). For instance, watching Daughter and her new Brother bond as she figures out what he does and doesn’t know about the world outside the house’s walls is rewarding. It’s interesting that in some ways, he’s the voice of the audience since we don’t know what’s out there either – we can assume something akin to our world, though there are some signs it’s not. As a long-serving inmate in this domestic prison, where he seems to be doing life, he’s maybe the one most able to help.

Nonetheless, the more we learn about Brother, the more we question his complicity. It is, after all, in his service we have had this revolving door of women – his name even necessitates the presence of at least one other child. Ian Alexander excels. Naïve and creepily happy, he is a tragic example of someone who has never been taught to question his reality or others’ points of reference. His scenes with Megan Li add dramatic stakes to the second half, where she engages in a battle for his soul. There is a fascinating dynamic to the family, with Father appearing to have all the power, though seeming only to use it in service of his son. Casper Van Dien is perhaps the standout among a top-notch cast here. Pious and patriarchal, he is a man who can’t stand being contradicted or challenged. He also will not accept blame, defaulting to a ‘look what you made me do’ explanation when he engages in his frequent acts of cruelty. Yet his genuine care for his son shows and it never seems like anything other than a twisted take on familial love. On this point, Deshon also leaves a lot about the situation to viewers’ imagination. Most notably, we’re told Brother has a rare medical condition which means he can’t go outside – is this true? Again, watch and learn,

There are lots of little mysteries and nuances to the film. And while there was one question I wanted answering more clearly, what matters isn’t necessarily what it all means to viewers but what the characters think it means. This idea of objective truth vs. subjectivism is at the core of the movie, and the need to feel as if we have a leading, benevolent role in our narratives explains how the parents can live with what they do. There is a lot about manipulation and how the same stories can be used to inspire behaviour in others. There is also a lot about individuality and the potential for art to act as a conduit – giving us little peaks into who Daughter and Brother really are. I was satisfied by all the main core beats up to the horrific and typically bold, ending. It looks incredible, too – shot in grainy 16mm, Deshon has created something that genuinely resembles the work of a different decade. Aesthetically and thematically, this is a film set in a bygone era. One free of modern technology – particularly the mobile phones that’d blow the story wide open. An excellent movie I can see being the best of the fest for those lucky enough to score a ticket.

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