Daddy's Little Girl (II) (2014) User Reviews

It started slow but became a really brutal movie...

[paul_haakonsen · 7/10 · 11 December 2018]

"Daddy's Little Girl" was somewhat of a wild card for me. I had no idea what the movie was about when I found it. I picked it up and read the synopsis. I had never heard of the movie prior to finding it.

So I decided to give it a go. The movie started out fairly slow paced and rather mundane. Actually to the point where I was about to call it quits and give up on the movie. But I decided to stick with it, since I had found it after all.

I am glad that I did, because this movie took such a drastic turn from being a mundane slow paced snoozefest to becoming the most gut wrenching movies that I have ever seen. Once the movie picked up pace it became absolutely gruesome, ghastly and grotesque. This was definitely a change of pace and events that sat well with me. And despite many of the scenes had me literally squirming and going "uuuhhhh", then it was something that was morbidly fascinating. The sheer level of realism they put into the scenes made it so entertaining - yeah, a weird thing to say, I know - but it just worked so very well in favor of the movie.

The amount of vicious gore and brutal mayhem that suddenly was introduced might be appalling to some and this is certainly not a movie suitable for everyone in the audience. I like movies that are visceral, and I must admit that "Daddy's Little Girl" was definitely the most brutal movie I have seen. It puts movies like "Saw" to shame in an instant.

"Daddy's Little Girl" is such a magnificent hidden gem. Which is a shame, because it deserves such a bigger audience.

The cast in the movie was good. I like watching movies with acting performers that I have never seen before. And I will say that the ones performing in this movie were doing good jobs.

If you haven't already seen "Daddy's Little Girl" and if you get the chance to do so. You must jump at the chance, because this movie is really quite well worth watching, and investing time and money in.

Not very impressive, but worth watching.

[symbioticpsychotic · 6/10 · 9 January 2014]

There's major spoilers ahead so don't read this if you haven't seen the film.

Revenge/avenger films are among my favourite types of films, The Horseman; I Spit on Your Grave et al, at the top of my list. After reading some reviews I was quite excited to get the DVD. I was kinda disappointed, so I'll start with the good.

It looks *amazing*, it's wonderfully shot, there's some fantastic crane shots and the camera really adds character to the film. The score, again, awesome, adding another fantastic dimension (and, without trying to sound like a DVD review there's some great rear surround effects, especially during crowd scenes). The story, and the message contained within are also solid.

The bad. Most reviews mention the acting with great praise. For the most part I felt the acting was pretty bad (with the exception of the gorgeous Billi Baker). It was one of those cases where I (and my girlfriend) could really feel each actor waiting to say their respective lines, as a result the dialogue felt forced and unnatural. Not all the time, but most. But I could deal with it because the story was so compelling. The thing that I had problems with mostly was the lack of realism in the police investigation and the torture scene/s.

Firstly; No Forensic Evidence. This film wasn't set in 1980 so unless the kidnapper/murderer was Mandrake there would have been. As evidenced by his diary, the murderer did not plan these things, they were borne out of snap decisions. No Forensic Evidence would imply great care, planning and covering up, the exact opposite of which was implied in the film.

Second; Computer & Diary. The murderer has a nanny cam in the bathroom which leads our protagonist to the murderers computer and an unlocked drawer that contains a diary that describes at great length the extent of his misdeeds. Would you leave something incriminating like that lying around? Let alone let someone use the computer right next to it? Seems unlikely.

Next; Police Sketch. The only witness was an old man who saw "someone leaving the scene at 3am, in the dark, from a distance." When we finally see the sketch it looks *exactly* like the killer. Pretty good description for 3am, in the dark, from a distance. Also, the police have a sketch, they know who the killer is but they wait until the next day to act on it? Four; Cleanliness. The murderer, bolted down on a table for 6 days, did not urinate or defecate the entire time, I don't necessarily need to see that, but I don't need to see someones kneecap getting shattered either and if I do I'm pretty sure they aren't going to be holding it in.

And speaking of cleanliness, Five; on the 5th day of torture the CID detective comes to visit Dad at the site of his vengeful torture. He hears the doorbell just after sawing into his victims arm, spewing blood everywhere, and goes straight upstairs to answer the door and is totally clean. The detective, despite sitting down with him for a period of time does not notice any type of odour emanating from him or his clothes, it's pretty implausible that a hardboiled violent crimes detective would not recognize the scent of blood, feces and burnt flesh. Equally implausible is the idea that there wouldn't be a smell at all.

My biggest problem with the film was that I just didn't care enough about the characters. I didn't care enough about the protagonists situation so that I could feel exalted when he exacted his revenge, and there was so little characterisation that his actions were of no surprise when he found out who killed his daughter. There was so little characterisation of the antagonist, and so little indication of the full extent of his crimes that the only reason I was happy he was getting smashed around was cause he was just a general douchebag.

The fact that I had very little emotional connection to the characters (and believe me I am not an unemotional person) stopped me from being able suspend my disbelief and allowed me to see the flaws in the film.

Other than that I liked it.

Good Low Budget Indie Film

[VanillaHammer · 6/10 · 26 January 2014]

There seems to be a wide variation in the reviews of this movie, either people love it and give it a 8+ or hate it and give it a 1.

When going into this movie you need to keep in mind it is a low budget Australian independent film. The fact it's Australian is important as low budget American films are usually between 5 - 10 million whereas that's a big budget for an Aussie film. This movie cost less then 500 000 dollars to make so you aren't going to get A grade acting. The special effects are very good and the script isn't too bad (though has a few Aussie things said/happening that non australians may not get).

I enjoyed watching this film. Yes the acting was cringeworthy at times but, as a father of young kids, I could relate to what was going through the father's head and it was thought-provoking for myself and my wife as we discussed how far we would go and how we would react in that situation.

Considering some of the overblown ratings for some really bad big budget movies on this site, I would recommend you give this one a go especially if you are a parent.

Poor. Really, really poor.

[diado · 1/10 · 20 January 2014]

This film has 7.3 on IMDb at the time of writing, and seems to have mostly ten star reviews and few (honest) one or two star reviews. Make of that what you will.

OK, on to the review. This movie is absolutely terrible. It's painful to watch, and not because of all the torture porn! The acting is wooden at best, full of awkward pauses and seemingly either completely emotionless in its delivery, or massively hammy. It feels like you're watching a school play.

The camera and audio work adds to that feeling. Very low apertures are used throughout the film, I assume to attempt to give it some feeling of style, but consequently focus is often slightly off or at times completely missed. The subject is regularly not quite in frame, having the top of their heads out of shot, to the point that I wonder whether it was shot in a completely different aspect ratio and then (badly) cropped. Similarly the audio levels seem to be all over the place, with actors literally having to shout to signify important parts of the plot.

With regards to the story itself, it seems to change pace a lot, to the point that it feels like the important parts were planned out, but the story then came in way below length and so huge amounts of slow-paced filler had to be added. There's a long set up, then a sudden progression which seems like it was meant to be jarring to the viewer, but just feels bodged because of the previous slow pace. Then it slows right down again until the next sudden progression, after which the pace is a little faster and more regular, but the story then seems somewhat incoherent and thrown together. Not to mention wholly unbelievable. Of course, then comes the torture porn.

All in all this film is very much not worth wasting your time on, even if you approach it in the knowledge that it's a low budget slasher flick with appropriately low expectations.

Don't believe the hype

[camjohnston86 · 1/10 · 17 January 2014]

I became aware of this movie from a facebook campaign that required those on the fan page to come on IMDb and write favourable reviews... in saying that, it appears most of the 10 STAR reviews are simply friends of the cast and crew.

As an objective watcher I can tell you that the movie is worth watching, preferably with friends as the first hour is very very amusing. Firstly, the acting is laugh-out-loud cringe worthy; examples such as the facial expressions of some characters while talking on the phone or the 2 second pauses between character lines in dialogue made an episode of Home and Away look like "Schindler's List". Perhaps the two standouts were Billi Baker and Michael Thomson who did as best as they could in a world of awkward expositions and extras who are trying to edge their way in front of the lens as much as possible.

In looking at the technical side of the film, the editing could've used a lot more attention to detail. Issues such as the audio quality which is very poor and had an overshadowing score and ambient noises muffling out the dialogue in many scenes made it difficult to focus on what was being said. Also the final montage in the end credits moves too quickly to be appreciated.

The story itself is OK-ish but 2D characters, inexplicable outbursts, poor casting (the character of Derek's father looks the same age as Derek) story arcs that go no where (I mean what was with the cousin character??) and no real sense of the character's histories (it seems to be assumed knowledge for some reason) make it difficult for it to ever stand out next to other revenge genre flicks.

To summarise, this (much like "The Room") is on par with a very good highschool film & TV assignment with a higher budget, which has clearly gone ENTIRELY towards the special effects (which I admit were fantastic!), in watching it you will be reminded through every forced facial expression and line of dialogue that you are watching people act and will never be really absorbed in what's going on... so grab some friends and a pizza, have a laugh at the start, a cringe at the end and then put on your real movie for the night

2 Stars out of 10 - but don't just take my word for it, wait till the proper reviews start coming out

We often lack perspective - especially when writing reviews

[frostywizard · 7/10 · 6 April 2014]

This film is intriguing in that it describes how i (think, at least) would feel if someone were to hurt someone in my family and "got away with it".

These are real life circumstances, and the acting is plausible in that these are everyday characters. We see them all the time in our daily lives, and shake our heads or applaud their behavior as we assess what we feel are their shortcomings or positive qualities. To dismiss this acting is to be simply out of touch.

Is it a great movie? Not in my opinion, but it embodies a realism and a sense of seeking justice in a society where we often fail to find any. In the wake of the great push by corporate America and our paid for politicians to strip away opportunities (in other countries as well) this movie helps to claw back a bit of the essence of our own lives, and provide at least a glimpse of hope. These feelings are palpable; this film is not about entertaining with fast action, glitzy cars and shimmering flesh; it wants us to feel something deeper.

Do you have to lose someone to identify with the themes here? Grieving people and those around them often *are* wooden when facing such losses. Seems to me that a 'good' movie like this can help you to understand. When we feel this helpless - this is a good mirror.

Ok... but 'thought provoking?', hmmmmm....

[wildblueyonder · 5/10 · 13 February 2019]

I more or less enjoyed the movie, but I did find myself fast forwarding through some of the brutality.

Make no mistake about it - this is a brutal movie - not generally my favorite kind but it was reasonably well done.

I particularly liked the acting of the main character, and its his attitude that makes this movie watchable.

Not for the weak of heart... but you could do worse.

A Poor Film

[sketchy_j · 1/10 · 17 January 2014]

I came across this film whilst filing through the 'Thriller' category in my Apple TV, searching for a well-constructed story that throws twists out every so often. AKA, a thriller. However, I was far off with such a choice. This movie from the beginning was let down by its actors. Each character, but in particular Derek (Michael Thomson) and his brother Tommy (Christian Radford) sounded as though they were simply speaking their lines straight off the script. Certain words that were incorporated in normal, everyday conversation between characters such as "Mate" were spoken flatly and held no depth behind it. The scene where the brothers are sitting on the beach and Derek is meaning to fire Tommy from his job seems fake, weakened by the actors' poor performances. And the scene really is an easy and relaxed segment which should not be ruined, and is through lack of effort, or so it seems.

The film goes on to allow Derek's mind to become unhinged through pure hatred for his brother Tommy, to the point where Derek seeks advice on torture methods. He retrieves the information he wants by having colloquial conversations with the dentist and a few other people. This in itself is quite honestly pathetic and completely illogical that the audience is expected to believe that when put into practice by an amateur who has no knowledge of the human body or anything of the like, they would work. An enraged man conducting torture methods to attack the correct body part and keep the victim awake, alive, but still feel the pain, please. In addition to this, the film moves quite quickly through his search for information, which strips the film of its credibility and hardcore depth which I believe it aims to achieve.

Another thing I'd like to touch on is: the fact that Derek acquires so much hatred for his brother after finding Tommy's diary to the point where he does not allow Tommy to explain himself whilst being tortured happened far too quickly, I believe. I do not think that torturing him was a clever twist, let alone depriving him of his ability to explain things. Finding the diary was too-weak a point of reference alone, and should have been accompanied by stronger evidence for Derek to launch into murderous, gruesome torture. Not to say that finding a second batch of evidence would have made for a justifiable answer to perform measured, well-thought-out torture on his brother.

Finally, I am struggling to understand how this film is still standing with a solid IMDb rating of 7.4, and that there are reviews that praise the great acting and film work of Daddy's Little Girl. I can say without hesitation or second thoughts that it is one of the worst films I have ever seen, and I strongly recommend avoiding it.

Very intense

[mickb1983 · 10/10 · 2 September 2012]

Dear reader, Daddy's Little Girl is a piece of Australian Film history. Never have i watched a cross genre film from Aus which has so much meaning and purpose.

This film will take you on a roller-coaster ride from start to finish. I was intrigued by the films story line as i believe in its message. It will divide opinions world wide. The acting was great, colour was flawless, shots were amazing, score was brilliant, sound was super with its surround sound quality.

Everyone involved should be very proud of being part of such a production.

Be warned if horror movies make you squirm then i recommend taking something to put over your eyes to peer out from as the special effects are graphic. Unlike most horror movies where you rarely see anything but the score and sound makes you cringe, Daddy's Little Girl gives you a front row seat and allows the viewer to watch all the horrific details.

Finally i rate this movie 10. Really enjoyable watch on a very controversial topic.

Brilliant Intense and Gory

[bounsit · 10/10 · 3 September 2012]

Arriving at the premiere to this film you could feel the anticipation building... You could just tell that we were all in for something special and Chris Sun and the team from slaughterfx sure did deliver!!!... With this the second offering from this amazingly talented group of friends from the Sunshine Coast, Queensland Australia we are taken on a journey with Derrick a single dad whos 6yr old daughter is taken from her bed and found murdered!.. Derrick ends up face to face with the killer of his little girl and finds himself faced with a decision... Revenge or Justice..... The specialfx in this film are so realistic and intensely gory that it will have even the most hardcore of Gore fans squirming in there seats while Derrick gets his revenge!! With a twist that hopefully gets every parent out there thinking that little bit more about just who they can trust!!!... Loved it Loved it Loved it!!!...

I have never been so impressed by a film

[arenacolin · 10/10 · 1 September 2012]

Prepare to be taken on the ride of your life with this one! Oh my god, I cried, I laughed and I also felt like I was going to be sick. I'm just astounded that all these emotions could be put into one film, and severely impressed that the use of cross genre worked perfectly. My wife and I went to the premiere night expecting to see a good movie, with a few flaws perhaps but we left the theater satisfied with seeing the perfect film with not one noticeable error. Everything about Daddy's Little Girl was just great! the acting, sound, colors, story line, realism, script, camera work and all the unexpected little twists. Ten out of ten for this one, i think people are going to have a lot of trouble beating it. in fact i don't think anyone could beat it. it is what it is, and that is Perfect!

Chris Sun and crew never stop making amazing films!

One more thing, the Special FX in this are the best i have ever seen. So very real!

Daddys little girl

[patrice000 · 10/10 · 1 September 2012]

Wow from the start to the finish i was tingling all over what a wonderful raw true honest film, excellent actors making the film so much enjoyable. I i truly believe this film will be a winner with it going all over the world. What a amazing talent Chris Sun is to be able to write and direct a film. The special effects were amazing as well as the locations i'm totally rating this 10/10 good work guys may you win a many award and heart all over the world with this film. Im looking forward to seeing more films come out by this director and writer. This story will hit home and make you realize how precious your children are and life.

A movie NOT to be missed!

[jeff-au · 10/10 · 2 September 2012]

I'll start my review with a confession. I had a small acting role in this movie as the Reverend, but that doesn't alter the emotional roller-coaster ride I and the audience received while sitting through its premier showing on Friday night (24/08/2012).

There aren't many movies that can successfully combine drama, horror, suspense and comedy cleverly interwoven into an intriguing storyline that will at times have you sitting on the edge of your seat, or crying, or cringing, or laughing out loud, but Daddy's Little Girl manages all that and more! The basic story is about love, particularly the close bond of love unique to a father-daughter relationship and the sense of helplessness felt by the father when his little girl (Georgia) is snatched away from him by an unknown predator. It is a story about justice and revenge that will divide opinions, change attitudes and keep people talking well after the closing credits.

Michael Thompson's emotional interpretation as Derek (the father) was memorable and his wonderful ability to show emotion via his eyes will lead him far in the acting world.

Leading actress Allira Jaques was equally superb in her role as Georgia's mother who, although the story concentrated on the father-daughter relationship, revealed through her emotions her love for her daughter was no less momentous. I'm certain Allira can look forward to being in high demand from directors looking for an actress that can give herself completely over to a role.

Sean Gannon was outstanding as Derek's best friend and business partner Colin, who was the stable influence and Derek's rock throughout his grieving process, as only best mates can be.

Christian Radford took on the role of Derek's troubled brother Tommy which helped highlight the importance of family and family relationships, along with Anthony Thomas as Derek's father, Leanne Sutcliffe as Derek's mother, Rebecca Plint as Derek's sister Tanya and Holly Phillips as Tommy's girlfriend Sian.

Supporting actor Darrel Plumridge's role as chief investigating officer Detective Harris was a memorable one which helped hold the story together perfectly.

Which brings us arguably to the real star of the movie, 7 year old Billi Baker who acted in the title role as Georgia, daddy's little girl. What can be said of this little star of the future? That she is beautiful. That she is wonderfully cast as Derek's daughter with an acting ability beyond her years. That she had everybody in the movie-going audience fall in love with her right from the opening scene, which ensured a strong emotional attachment to what was to come. Yes, we all love you Georgia, to the moon and back!

Special effects supervisor Steven Boyle (King Kong, Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones, The Matrix Revolutions, 30 Days of Night, Daybreakers)ensured the special effects in Daddy's Little Girl will literally have you cringing in your seat, while cinematographer Scott Kimber captures everything from the beauty of Queensland's Sunshine Coast to the close-up emotions displayed on the actor's faces perfectly.

Writer/Director Chris Sun's own passion for his story overflowed generously to the cast and crew, and it shows! In just his second feature film (following Come and Get Me – 2011) Chris has quickly established himself as a Director capable of drawing out the very best from his cast and crew.

In summary, Daddy's Little Girl is a story that needed to be told and will be one of the most talked about movies of 2013 – don't miss this one!

Wow doesn't even cut it!

[LiLiMae · 10/10 · 6 September 2012]

After seeing Daddys Little Girl you will have a feeling of shock and wonder, I myself felt nausea too. Never have I felt sick from watching a movie but I don't mind, it was worth every second! The dialog as well as the actors were so realistic that you can't help being drawn into their lives. The good times and the tragic are easy to believe and make you wonder what would happen if this were happening to you and your child... revenge or justice? Special effects are fantastic and believable- a great combination. This is partly what is going to leave your skin crawling as you leave the screening. Its just simply that good! Daddys Little Girl is going to change the way you think and behave when it comes to your children. This is hopefully going to pave the way for our Australian justice system to take a good long and hard look at how it is run. Things need to change and Chris Sun, SlaughterFX and co have created Daddys Little Girl!

Brutal, Unrelenting...Did I Say Brutal?

[redrobin62-321-207311 · 7/10 · 14 September 2018]

Oy! What a film. It started off on the slow, cliched side, but once it picked up steam,, became a no holds barred, down and dirty, rough and ready, gore fest. Revenge movies like these ("The Woman," "I Spit On Your Grave," "Revenge," etc.) make you wonder just how depraved a man or woman can get in their hunger for vengeance.

To be fair, the acting in this flick was fair to middling. A lot more work could've went into character development and the cinematography was also fair to middling. Then again, it was a low budget movie, so I suppose that's to be expected. There were a few plot holes here and there, but they're not important in terms of how the film develops. Is this a film worth checking out? Sure. It may even make you squirm in your seat.

Edge of seat

[darrellplum1965 · 10/10 · 2 September 2012]

OK firstly yes I was part of the cast, but that does not mean i can't give an unbiased review. Being involved from audition process to screening I can tell you i had high expectations of this film and I can honestly say it came out above my expectations. Yes of course it has a few moments where a few scenes are a touch long (none of mine of course lol) but overall what a fantastic film. The acting the story line the filming everything works together to make this film a fantastic watch. I wont go on but if this doesn't become and iconic Australian film and kick start the careers of many into main stream work, then I will be very surprised. Well done to all involved I loved every minute of it.

Its lovely, funny, horrific but above all very real

Horror with Heart

[michael_gerschwitz · 7/10 · 22 January 2014]

I'll admit straight off the bat that I count myself as an acquaintance of director Chris Sun, having followed him on Facebook and talked to him a few times since even before he made his first film. However, as anyone who has spoken to him knows, he can handle constructive criticism and doesn't want anyone kissing his a--! So I'm going to keep it real.

Firstly, this movie is NOT for the squeamish! It is bloody, violent and gruesome and will have a lot of people comparing it to films like "I Spit on Your Grave", "Hostel" and "Last House on the Left" but this movie differs in two major ways: The first being that it spares us the horror of watching the innocent victim suffer. While most revenge-torture style films will use any excuse to heap on the violence, Daddy's Little Girl takes the classier road by merely implying what had been done which, rather than distracting the viewer with the gruesomeness of the crime, instead hits us with the emotional impact of a family's loss and builds our sympathy for the grieving father. Which brings me to the second way it differs, in that it never forgets its point or becomes a mindless torture-porn. There is a very relatable motive behind everything that Derek is doing and while Michael Thompson's acting may not earn him an Oscar, he still has more than enough emotion in his performance to portray a man in deep pain while the ghostly (possibly imagined) visits from his deceased daughter remind us why he is doing this. The emotional side of this film is genuinely enough to bring a tear to the eye.

Something else which seems to get lost in translation, by the people who are instantly put-off by the blood, is the message of this film which asks the question of whether the penalties for crimes against children are harsh enough.

There were also a few negatives: I found my attention wandering a bit for the first hour or so, as some of the scenes seemed to drag on a little longer than I would have liked and maybe there were a few scenes which we didn't need. Much of the acting was also far from fantastic, but keep in mind that most of the extras in particular were inexperienced volunteers while even the lead actors have only been in one or two previous roles! Also keep in mind that this is only Chris' second film and he has already shown a HUGE amount of improvement from his first.

In my opinion, the stand-out performance would have to go to Allira Jaques as Stacey, also in only her second feature role, for managing to effectively showcase three very different sides to a character who probably didn't get as much screen time as she deserved. The special effects were fantastic and, while very gruesome, always kept the "gore" believable which helped to increase the impact of the torture scenes, rather than just having the viewer laughing at 'how fake that looked.'

In summary, remembering that this only the director's second movie and it was filmed on a very small budget in limited time with mostly inexperienced and first-time actors, this was actually one hell of an accomplishment! You can compare it to as many bigger-budgeted films with household name actors as you like, but I challenge you to find another with as little experience and money behind it as this one had, which accomplishes the same level of quality and packs as much of an emotional punch, especially within the genre! In the future, Daddy's Little Girl will be looked back on as an Australian classic and Chris Sun has proved that he is a director to watch as he is only going to continue to improve and make better and better films.

Daddy's Little Girl .... Exceptional and Chilling!

[caclaxton66 · 10/10 · 2 September 2012]

What an amazing story .... Daddy's Little Girl is one amazing roller coaster of emotions! I am so proud to have been a part of such an engrossing story that really hits home as a parent. As one of the cast I have to say I enjoyed every minute of the production. Daddy's Little Girl is full on and at times 'in your face', but in saying that, I could not take my eyes off the screen in the second half of the film! The first half of Daddy's Little Girl is wonderfully filmed and set up for what will blow your mind later on. If you think you know what this film is about, think again!! The Director, Chris Sun, has done justice to the way we think as humans if we were placed in the same circumstances. So now it's up to you to decide .... Revenge or Justice?? Cheers, Craig 'the Dentist' Claxton.

Noice

[lilpest9 · 8/10 · 21 May 2022]

Beautiful little girl picture. Kinda sucks cause she dies real quick then its about her dad. But she shows up as an angel/hallucination.

The gore all looks really good and grungy. Kind of expected a twist where like Tommy wasn't actually the guy but that didn't happen.

Only problem was the sound. Its real bad sometimes and with the Ozzer accents its impossible to hear anything sometimes. Overall a good picture though.

Good film for an Aussie export

[khillikat · 7/10 · 14 March 2014]

I was sceptical at first as the first half of movie is the usual bit boring story telling, bit naff, the acting is a tad wooden but good enough so do stick with it.

As the action certainly perks up in the second half.

I'm not going to give anything away but this is a revenge movie so be aware there will be extreme violence.

This is a low budget movie, do not watch if you are expecting Hollywood style horror.

If you are a proper fan of horror/gore, then this is definitely worth watching.

My score is a very worth while 7/10 Definitely a good 7/10

Daddy's Little Girl, Most powerful, Controversial, amazing movie I have ever seen!

[gothic-romance-666 · 10/10 · 1 September 2012]

Daddy's Little Girl is a truly brilliant film. The cinemas on the night of the premiere where packed out with eagerly waiting fans and supporters, and they did not leave there disappointed. This film has blown so many people away, causing them to dig deep into their minds and hearts when they where faced with such raw emotion and unfortunate life altering truths.

This Movie takes you on a massive roller coaster ride of emotions from happy, sad, excited, scared, shocked, sick, nervous to the final feeling of complete satisfaction and astonishment. Daddy's Little Girl will make you question the people around you, the decisions you make and how easily terrible unthinkable things can happen.

Daddy's Little Girl, is an impeccably written story, fantastically scripted, brilliant realistic special Fx, Mind blowing score and edit, superb acting and most importantly beautifully shot.

Lets just say it could hardly be called indie! It looks like the Daddy's Little Girl crew had over a million dollars to shoot this baby on! And all who have seen this film would agree with that. The premiere night ended with a standing ovation once again for another brilliant film written and directed by much loved Christopher Sun.

From his first film ''Come and Get Me'' you can really see how far the ever growing and achieving, talented Chris has come. The world better watch out because Chris and his team are coming at you, and fast. I myself am ecstatic with Daddy's Little Girl and cannot wait to see how much further the twistedly brilliant mind of Mr. Sun can go.

At the end of it all, this is by far the most powerful and moving film i have seen in my life. Expect tears, expect laughter, expect to feel sick but most of all expect to be blown away. There is nothing else like this.

10/10

Brilliant.

Interesting horror from Slaughter FX, but not well acted.

[kdavies-69347 · 4/10 · 12 November 2015]

Daddy's Little Girl is about revenge, but focuses mainly on gore.

To be honest, I wasn't expecting very much, and I saw several reviews that praised this film as being very thought provoking. It wasn't. The plot is exceptionally predictable, and it doesn't really bring anything new to the revenge tale. No twists in the plot, and a few rather 'recycled' cinema moments. Think of a very badly acted 'Mystic River' with torture scenes.

The main character of the father however, is one of the worst elements in the film. Unfortunately he seems more annoyed than enraged throughout the movie. I assume he understood before starting his acting career that he would have to learn how to emote, but I was underwhelmed with how the father reacted to the death of a child, he subsequent depression, and revenge.

A man who is capable of torturing another man, who can extend that level of pain and violence on another human being, couldn't possibly do so without some level of empathy or emotions. Most people would be repulsed by the sight of blood and viscera, but neither does he relish in it. He just does it and acts overtly angry. He even tries out some "ironic" torture techniques... har har i suppose.

Maybe it was his tone of voice, but honestly... he was the worst. Especially considering who the murderer was (I won't ruin it, but you can guess who it is within the first 20 minutes of the film) Anyways, this movie didn't show anything I hadn't seen before. As far as the torture stuff goes; it's there to enjoy if that's your thing.

4/10

Aussie Emotions Run Rampant

[MidiHorrorReviews · 9/10 · 16 August 2014]

Daddy's Little Girl is an Australian film (2012) written and directed by Chris Sun .

Review -

Firstly let me say , don't judge this film based on the scathing reviews some had for it on IMDb. I feel sometimes people don't immerse themselves in a film properly and pick simplistic flaws , rather than view its beauty. My only real complaint would be the fact there was NO physical evidence of the killer ? We know in this day and age there is always some minute piece of DNA these days . Its a flaw yes , but not one that drives the film.

This film makes its point clear - you don't mess with anyone's child ! A parents revenge is more powerful than ANYONE else's ! Chris Sun has made this poignantly clear in this film. Through his use of an impressive fresh Aussie cast , hauntingly emotive beautiful music , fantastic visual locations and a well written and cleverly executed script ; Chris has been able to entice the viewer in and keep them hooked for the length of the film (and i admit ,pen in hand as usual , i found it hard to take notes during certain scenes - beach , funeral ,some of the torture- for review purposes). Six year old Georgia is played by Billi Baker ; an adorable little girl full of love , giggles and spirit like any child of that age. With her hauntingly blue eyes and fair hair , she was a clear choice for the role and displays such in her performance. Derek is played by Michael Thomson . As a doting dad , we see his love and affection for Georgia ; as he trudges through the rigmarole of balancing time with his daughter , work , social life , and battling with his ex over mundane issues (as do most separated / divorced parents). In an instant we see this lovable ,lively man ; become a hollow shell , hiding from the world and drowning in sorrow following the death of his daughter. His spark is only reignited when he exacts his revenge on his daughter's killer , in a variety of inventive (and well informed) ways. Colin (Derek's business partner and friend) is played by Sean Gannon . He tries to play therapist to his friend and at times is seen as a strong supportive character in the film. Tommy (Derek's brother) is played by Christian Redford . In the beginning he's just a loutish , goofy young man ; who believes the world is his oyster. At times he comes off a simple slacker , but as we learn in the film "there is more than meets the eye". Allira Jaques is Stacey (Georgia's mother and Derek's ex) . She plays the sole parent , struggling to prove she can do things for herself just perfectly. She is raw , reactive and inconsolable at the right moments. Last for a big mention is Darrell Plumridge as Detective Michael Harris . As our law enforcer trying desperately to solve a case with little to no leads , he ambles through the film , somewhat desperately trying to comfort Derek and also do his duty. Music in the film includes some impressive piano scores . A hauntingly ethereal piece is played when Georgia's body is discovered at the beach . The use of an emotional operatic piece during the funeral scene , adds to the distress and tugs at your heart to the verge of tears. Throughout the film these piano themed pieces are used (primarily during dream / memory sequences with Georgia) and are executed at perfect moments. The Sunshine Coast backdrops are a true thing of beauty (even a Sydney resident like i can admit that) . The location choices were superb . From the leafy street Georgia goes missing from ( i feel perhaps channel tens 'secrets and lies' copied you there Chris ) , the beach her body is discovered on (on the perfectly dull and graying day) , and even simple house locations. Being a parent I felt for this plot , it reached inside me and pulled at my reactive core. How would you react to this situation? If the police dragged their ass for 6 months , trying to solve your child's murder , would you take a form of vigilante justice ? I think an honest answer (for all parents) ...is YES!! This film preys on that awful dark feeling , which hides deep within us all, and pulls it forward into a bitter ugly limelight. It engages and engrosses you , in a sordid world of torture and leaves only a strange joy , when it's all over. This film on its own is amazing . A visually stimulating , emotional roller-coaster of sorrow , evil and vengeance. I won't discuss too in-depth about the plot itself , how it unfolds or who the killer is (which is apparent early on) . You know i don't like to spoil things and prefer for you to judge it for yourselves. I will however add that the torture itself is of a class of its own . The only pleasure to be deduced from the torture scenes ,should be one based on a purely emotional response to the evolution of the storyline. I would lastly like to thanks Chris Sun for NOT over indulging the viewer with an image during the discovery of Georgia's body . Less is best and you took that road well ....a lot of others would've used it to steer the anger , you did not . Tasteful and respectful to your viewers! Well don't Chris , I can't wait to see " Charlie's Farm" when that comes out soon !!

I am a sucker for Australian films

[bethsgem-13693 · 8/10 · 24 June 2022]

Vengeance movie. Not for the horror fan who is not used to revenge plots. Good performances by all cast. Low budget but did they make it work. Specifically the fx my God.. it was so realistic. I have little girls, and this was right up my alley if one was to go missing. Best performance no doubt the brother. Highly recommend.

Come on, it's not that bad!

[arsenico71 · 6/10 · 4 December 2016]

OK, it's not a masterpiece, and I don't either think it claims or expects to be one, it is clearly low-budgeted and flawed, but it does its job: entertain. Actually, the setup part is a little too long, it could have been done better and more effectively without many useless, slow paced scenes, getting straight to the point and using more time to analyze the characters and the relationship between them.

But when it does start, wow... this is torture porn at its goriest. I'm not a huge fan of blood and gore, but I liked the concept behind this movie. The message that I got from it is that, whatever bad a human being might be able to do, taking revenge, an eye for an eye, simply means lowering yourself to his own level of inhumanity. We do have law and punishment for a reason, not to masochistically give up any rightful feeling of revenge we might carry inside ourselves.

The slaughterer turns into the victim, the victim turns into the slaughterer, what is the difference between them at the end of the movie? Just one, made by Derek's final decision, which I won't spoil here. But it's no big deal, Derek is not human anymore, anyway. Not anymore than his victim.

All in all, philosophy apart, it's definitely worth a watch, if you can stand hard torture scenes and can overlook the bad acting and low budget setup.