Sommerleigh Pollonais-Senior Writer
We tend to shower praise on our moms all the time, and deservedly so. Moms are the first people we think of when we feel sick, hungry or had a hard day at school, hell, even at work! But let’s be fair, there are a lot of awesome dads out there too. The ones that play catch with you, teach you how to stand up for yourself and slay the monsters hiding under our beds.
And while most horror movies tend to make them the bad guys (The Stepfather, The People Under the Stairs and The Shining) our dads can be our heroes. So with a SPOILER ALERT and in honour of last week’s Fathers’ Day, I’m dedicating this one to my TOP 6 BEST DADS IN HORROR MOVIES (because I couldn’t just pick 5):
#6 Louis Creed – Pet Sematary
Wait wait wait! Hear me out. Now I know most of you are thinking, are you nuts??? Louis got most of his family killed! And you would be right. But ask any parent how far they would be willing to go to bring back their child from death, and you might be surprised how much they have in common with Dr. Creed.
After the loss of his Gage, his baby boy, Louis in an act of desperation buries his son in the titular cemetery/sematary. And the joy on his face to have him return from the dead, is all you need to prove how far a father will go for his kid. The road to Hell, however, is paved with good intentions, and this road is no different. But it doesn’t take away from the fact that Louis is a dad who will do anything and everything to keep his family together.
#5 Seok-Woo – Train to Busan
Damn I love this movie! One of the best elements of this film is its characters and our lead Seok-Woo is the best of them all. He starts out like most atypical horror movie fathers as he’s an absentee dad who works so much he accidentally buys his daughter the same gift on two different birthdays, causing her to want to live with her mother in Busan.
What starts out as an ordinary train ride turns into a fight for survival and Seok-Woo quickly proves there’s no lengths he won’t go to keep his daughter alive. Train to Busan is a zombie movie that will tug at your heart and then rip it right out your chest (surprisingly not in the way you think) in giving us a father-daughter relationship worth investing in.
#4 Jesse Hellman – The Devil’s Candy
The Devil’s Candy is another gem of a movie that a lot of folks missed. Jesse is instantly relatable and genuinely likeable as a dad who is totally devoted to his family and his daughter. He’s an artist often forced to paint stuff he isn’t passionate about just to provide a great home for his family.
His connection with his daughter is what keeps you invested and genuinely terrified when you realise The Devil himself wants to tear them apart. Yet Jesse is the dad we all hope we have. Someone who will stand up against the strongest temptation, and walk through fire itself, if it means saving his child.
#3 Steve Freeling – Poltergeist
Another everyman type of dad Steve is a father who finds himself facing forces way beyond his control. Yet, like any good father, he’s willing to go above and beyond for his family.
What I loved about Steve (played pitch perfectly by Craig T Nelson) is you can tell he’s as scared as anyone else is when faced with a poltergeist who not only thinks it’s funny to mess with the furniture but goes as far as abducting his youngest daughter. But he puts aside his disbelief and does whatever he has to to get her back. If that’s not an awesome dad, I don’t know who is.
#2 Lee Abbott – A Quiet Place
One of the most important things a dad can do is prepare his kids for the unpredictable nature of the outside world. And when that world is infested with monsters that will kill anything that makes a sound, dad’s job just go a whole lot tougher.
Lee gives the phrase “strong silent type” a whole new meaning as he not only protects his family, but does what he can (and in every way he can) to prepare his kids to face the monsters in their world. Like any dad he makes mistakes, but he proves once again that your dad can be your truest hero when he sacrifices himself to save his children. John Krasinksi was once up for the role of Captain America and after seeing him as Lee Abbott, I can totally see why.
#1 Andy – Cargo
A parent’s love is undying and if any character in a movie has ever proven that fact, it’s Andy in Cargo. After being infected during a zombie pandemic, Andy knows he’s going to die and become a zombie. As the only one who can get his baby daughter to safety he is a father who is running out of time.
While the full-length movie starring Martin Freeman as Andy is a good one, the version of Cargo that truly packed an emotional punch for me, is the original YouTube short. There is minimal dialogue but in seven minutes it manages to convey the infinite depth of love and sacrifice a father will go through for his child. I’m not crying, you’re crying!
Yondu said it best in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2: “He might’ve been your Father, but he wasn’t your Daddy.” So here’s to all the dads out there who are willing to go to any lengths to keep their kids safe from the monsters out there, both imaginary and real. Here’s to you Dad!
For my list of the Top 5 Bad-Ass Moms in Horror Movies you can click here.
Sommerleigh of the House Pollonais. First of Her Name. Sushi Lover, Queen of Horror Movies, Comic Books and Binge Watching Netflix. Mother of two beautiful black cats named Vader and Kylo. I think eating Popcorn at the movies should be mandatory, PS4 makes the best games ever and I’ll be talking about movies until the zombie apocalypse comes. Double Tap Baby!