VOD of the Dead - BAGHEAD (2023)
Image: Syfy/USA Network
The horror genre plays host to some of the most interesting and grotesque backstories and mythologies in all of cinema history. Even some of the most rote-sounding premises can be hijacked by horror and turned on their heads. The classics such as Frankenstein deal with the notion of playing God and creating life from death, albeit with some lingering implications that teach a valuable moral lesson. What about old Freddy Krueger? The child molester that a mob of parents burned alive while taking justice into their own hands. There is no shortage of these kinds of origin stories, and some of them have roots far deeper than the combined age of all seven of you reading this. Still, there is a lot of room for new ideas, creatures, and stories to populate the genre and give us new legends to terrify us. In the most recent Shudder Original, Baghead, we are introduced to a potential challenger in the urban legend arena. Is “Baghead” a new titan of terror, or just a twice-told tale you’ve heard before?
WHAT’S IT ABOUT?
Following the death of her estranged father, Iris learns she has inherited a run-down, centuries-old pub. She travels to Berlin to identify her father’s body and meet with The Solicitor to discuss the estate. Little does she know, when the deed is signed, she will become inextricably tied to an unspeakable entity that resides in the pub’s basement–Baghead–a shape-shifting creature that can transform into the dead. Two thousand in cash for two minutes with the creature is all it takes for desperate loved ones to ease their grief. Neil, who has lost his wife, is Iris’ first customer. Like her father, Iris is tempted to exploit the creature’s powers and help desperate people for a price. But she soon discovers breaking the two-minute rule can have terrifying consequences.
HOW IS IT?
Folk horror, when done right, can deliver some of the most creepy and creative thrills in the horror genre. It isn’t an easy feat, however, to intertwine myth and the macabre in a compelling way that is both unique and monstrous. To be sure, everyone has their preferences, but for this reviewer’s money folk horror is best when it explores the more fantastical and creature-oriented side of the sub-genre. To that end, “Baghead” sounds, and looks like the kind of film that would be a home-run. Alas, while “Baghead” does deliver some great creature effects and some stand-out moments of terror, they are fleeting and too far between a lot of melodramatic familial filler that is more of the same.
Playing out like part Pumpkinhead meets Pet Semetary, “Baghead” is layered with familiar ideas about how grief-stricken people will put themselves and others in harm's way to revive their loved ones. The twist here is that our titular witch has a time limit, after which one runs the risk of the tables turning in one’s favor. Underneath this mythos is the story of a family that seems to be cursed and bound to the estate where “Baghead” is attached, and therefore they are the guardians. If all of this sounds like you’ve seen it before, you have. That wouldn’t be a mark against the film except none of this stuff is all that interesting to begin with. The characters and their motivations are rather shallow, and the most interesting parts are the backstory involving “Baghead” which would’ve been far more of an interesting thread to follow. Especially when you consider the implications of having cult members chasing after “Baghead” rather than sorry saps who can’t move on.
The saving grace of “Baghead” is easily the creature design and some moments peppered throughout where the makeup work gets to shine. The creature can change her look, you get bastardized versions of people she has replicated ala Carpenter’s The Thing, except not near that level of insanity. Instead, you get some variations of the witch looking her most ghoulish as she climbs the walls and glitches her way across the ceiling. There is only marginal use of the creature design, mostly in “gotcha” jumpscare moments while favoring the bag-headed approach for the majority of the screen time. While that does play into the mythos, and therefore makes sense, it also robs the film of its most interesting quality only to cover it with a literal bag. It can be said that the performances here are as good as you can expect, and Freta Allan shows that her acting chops extend far beyond the fantastical reach of The Witcher universe.
LAST RITES
“Baghead” isn’t a bad movie by any stretch, but it is hard to outright recommend for those who watch their fair share of genre films as it fails to do much new to warrant the time. The great creature design and some tense moments aren’t enough to carry some of the more mundane qualities, but it is worth a watch if you enjoy this kind of melodrama/folk horror so long as you go in with moderate expectations.
THE GORY DETAILS
Directed By
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Where can you watch it?
BAGHEAD is available to stream NOW, only on SHUDDER!
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