The Reel Review
A young woman inherits her estranged father’s centuries old, rundown pub in Berlin, only to discover that a shape-shifting witch in the basement can enable visitors to communicate with their dead loved ones – but at a steep price if the two-minute deadline is passed. Freya Allan stars in this horror/thriller based on director Alberto Corredor’s similarly titled 2017 short film.
Spooky, dimly lit visuals of the ancient pub’s interiors and a chilling score set an effectively creepy vibe in this horror that is more about style than substance. The cast – Allan (The Witcher) as the embattled ingenue, Ruby Barker (Bridgerton) as her way more sensible friend, and Jeremy Irvine (Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, War Horse) as the widower who can’t seem to stick to that two-minute rule, all do a fine job, despite being saddled with a limp screenplay that just doesn’t give them much to work with.
Despite the stylish visuals, and somewhat of a twist in the finale, there just isn’t enough story – or scares – to make Baghead all that compelling. Corredor also reveals the monster in the first act – a cardinal sin in horror. The plot, while somewhat similar to the far superior 2023 Australian horror/thriller Talk to Me, is forgettable by comparison.
REEL FACTS
• Peter Mullan, who plays the father, is the only main cast member from Alberto Corredor’s award-winning 2017 short to return to the feature film.
• The 15-minute short was a darling on the festival circuit, racking up wins at Dragon*Con, and in Sitges, Buenos Aires, Atlanta, and Paris, among many others.
• Baghead was filmed in Berlin, Germany.
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