A dead soldier comes back from the grave to avenge his mother.A dead soldier comes back from the grave to avenge his mother.A dead soldier comes back from the grave to avenge his mother.
Photos
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Featured review
A most unsettling homecoming!
Filmed on a shoestring budget of an estimated £500, Daniel Came Home is an impressive sophomore foray into short film making - director Brian Gregory's previous short was Janet Devis. The premise is a simple one, but one that is told and presented with great craft and feeling - which should come as no surprise as the director also wrote the short story on which the film is based and which can be read, for example, in The Fifth BHF Book of Horror Stories. As far as I'm concerned, the art of short story telling - both in literature and film - is condensing an idea into a limited space but leaving the reader or viewer with thoughts and ideas about the piece that can take hours to discuss and explore. This is such a piece.
A son, who was serving as a soldier in Afghanistan comes home. However, his return comes as a shock to his father who has just spent the day burying his son. Is this a simple case of someone having been mistakenly reported KIA or a more disturbing return from the grave? A confrontation with the father, who soon reveals himself to be abusive and racist, leads to a shocking conclusion.
I don't know how much time and energy goes into making a film, but I can imagine it's a lot. In this case, I had the advantage of having read the short story first and I was fascinated to see how the director would interpret the images and ideas I had formed from the text. I can say that he exceeded my expectations. The cinematography, Jeanette Gregory's make-up, and the sound design, including Neil Gregory's music, create an unsettling atmosphere and tone that only deepens as the piece progresses. The acting performances are also superb and really capture the tension and terror as it unfolds. I was also struck by how strongly the underlying themes - at least as I interpreted them - are developed and referenced, not only in the dialogue but also visually.
It seemed to me the director is interested in the consequences of poor parenting and homes devoid of love and nurturing, which might also be seen as a wider social issue. For those of us who grew up there, there is an undeniable inherent racism in English life and a violence that comes with it -- it's historical but also very current, a generational trait that like many aspects of life in the UK is hard to eradicate. There's a great image of blood on a flag. I don't know how the director saw that, but for me it's a great visual cue on Britain's responsibility for its role in the world -- both at home and abroad. For a film with such a strong emotional core, it's certain this is a very personal work. I look forward to seeing future productions, possibly a full length feature.
Daniel Merry, We Belong Dead.
A son, who was serving as a soldier in Afghanistan comes home. However, his return comes as a shock to his father who has just spent the day burying his son. Is this a simple case of someone having been mistakenly reported KIA or a more disturbing return from the grave? A confrontation with the father, who soon reveals himself to be abusive and racist, leads to a shocking conclusion.
I don't know how much time and energy goes into making a film, but I can imagine it's a lot. In this case, I had the advantage of having read the short story first and I was fascinated to see how the director would interpret the images and ideas I had formed from the text. I can say that he exceeded my expectations. The cinematography, Jeanette Gregory's make-up, and the sound design, including Neil Gregory's music, create an unsettling atmosphere and tone that only deepens as the piece progresses. The acting performances are also superb and really capture the tension and terror as it unfolds. I was also struck by how strongly the underlying themes - at least as I interpreted them - are developed and referenced, not only in the dialogue but also visually.
It seemed to me the director is interested in the consequences of poor parenting and homes devoid of love and nurturing, which might also be seen as a wider social issue. For those of us who grew up there, there is an undeniable inherent racism in English life and a violence that comes with it -- it's historical but also very current, a generational trait that like many aspects of life in the UK is hard to eradicate. There's a great image of blood on a flag. I don't know how the director saw that, but for me it's a great visual cue on Britain's responsibility for its role in the world -- both at home and abroad. For a film with such a strong emotional core, it's certain this is a very personal work. I look forward to seeing future productions, possibly a full length feature.
Daniel Merry, We Belong Dead.
helpful•00
- daniel_merry
- Apr 17, 2023
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Official site
- Language
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- £500 (estimated)
- Color
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content