Everything about this movie - from the script and dialogue to the performances - is hilariously unsubtle. The girl's "evil" performance doesn't ring true for a minute (she squints her eyes and makes faces to show she's angry, and she makes Freddy Krueger-ish wisecracks right after her killings - "Divorce this!", "You're dead meat", "Goodnight grandma", that sort of thing). If almost every character in the movie wasn't a complete moron, there wouldn't have been a movie - they would have realized the plainly obvious and punched the little brat in the face! Nonetheless, as bad as this movie is, it is directed with a certain professionalism that at least keeps it watchable. (**)
14 Reviews
Just one more reason to stop adopting children.
capkronos8 May 2003
Warning: Spoilers
A yuppie couple adopts an eleven-year-old redheaded psycho named Jody (Gabrielle Boni). Thanks to childhood trauma, she kills people who threaten to come between her and her beloved new father (William Katt). Jody makes coffins for her dolls, scares another little girl by talking about worms eating dead bodies, tries to poison her grandmother by putting drain cleaner in her prune juice (!) and makes stupid wisecracks as she beats a social worker to death with a mallet, crushes her mean school principal with a bookcase, kills a lawyer with a fire poker and shoves mom (Michele Greene) off a balcony. The only person who knows something is wrong is the nosy niece (Roxana Zal), who starts researching Jody's past. Naturally no one believes her until it's too late.
Too much time is spent, in typical made-for-TV-movie fashion, on the marital woes of the parents, and this is probably nothing you haven't seen before, but it's good, dumb fun all the same thanks mostly to the engagingly evil performance by young Gabrielle Boni. She's a good crier but her 'angry' expressions and dialogue delivery are hilarious. Oh well, that's just part of the fun!
Too much time is spent, in typical made-for-TV-movie fashion, on the marital woes of the parents, and this is probably nothing you haven't seen before, but it's good, dumb fun all the same thanks mostly to the engagingly evil performance by young Gabrielle Boni. She's a good crier but her 'angry' expressions and dialogue delivery are hilarious. Oh well, that's just part of the fun!
Cheesy psycho-thrills
Leofwine_draca2 November 2021
Warning: Spoilers
My other watch for Halloween was DADDY'S GIRL (1996), a little-known and unbelievably ripe addition to the psycho-thriller genre. By 1996 the budgets for these films were low and the quality of the scripting even worse, with cliched dialogue and scenarios throughout; the only actor of note they can muster is William Katt (CARRIE, HOUSE), someone always willing to act in B-movies. This one's about a ginger kid called Jody who has such a loving relationship with her father that she bumps off anyone else who threatens that union. It's not gory but the kills are handled violently and the kid even makes Freddy-style wisecracks after each one. Definitely an example of so-bad-it's-good entertainment at times, but in the end it's too cheap to make an impact.
Only Theoretically Good
kahn_joanna19835 June 2004
This film has a lot of potential, however fails to impress due to the poorly written script.
Scenes are very drawn out, and so there is an extremely minute degree of suspense in the whole movie. It is obvious what Jodi is going to do to each victim by the middle of the film.
The mystery of the child's past is not drawn upon to develop a stronger background to the character of Jodi. Unfortunately, this doesn't give the child actor much to work with, and thus, the protagonists' performance is extremely wooden.
The supporting actors have so little to work with with regards to material, that the whole thing falls apart because of the lack of backbone in direction.
To the actors' credits, for an obscenely banal script, their performances were good.
Scenes are very drawn out, and so there is an extremely minute degree of suspense in the whole movie. It is obvious what Jodi is going to do to each victim by the middle of the film.
The mystery of the child's past is not drawn upon to develop a stronger background to the character of Jodi. Unfortunately, this doesn't give the child actor much to work with, and thus, the protagonists' performance is extremely wooden.
The supporting actors have so little to work with with regards to material, that the whole thing falls apart because of the lack of backbone in direction.
To the actors' credits, for an obscenely banal script, their performances were good.
Disappointing
kill-the-boxtrolls9 October 2011
Warning: Spoilers
So I've been waiting a whole year to watch this movie even if I'm more into the Action-type than I am horror. Last night, I was bored and I was searching through Comcast desperately looking for something to watch. There, I found 'Daddy's Girl.' A movie about a child who murders her teacher, devastated about being taken away. Interested, I had to sit through this movie and see whether I'd like it or not, then I learned that the kid seems to become addicted to killing after a dramatic trauma that happened in her early childhood.
As we go on, the child turns into an evil sadistic child killer and starts toying with the people she hates by literally murdering them one by one about almost each day to keep her and her father together. And with that, her friends and family become confused at this disaster as they get constant phone calls about people dying everyday and for what? An addictive child killer! As they began to try to get details out of Jody (the protagonist), she starts acting as though she is innocent to hide her psychopathic behavior.
I can give a good reason that I did not like this movie simply because I am not a fan of horror films and especially films where you have a child murderer. So, seriously, people, do we REALLY need another movie where you have a kid going around killing off members of her family for apparently no reason at all a la "The Good Son (1993)"?? And yet, do we also need another film where you have a psychopathic bratty or bullying kid acting as though she was innocent and after killing off all those people, she starts lying about it and hiding her true, dark personality a la "The Bad Seed (1956)"? Simply because this film uses parodies from "The Good Son" and "The Bad Seed", I found this to be boring and uninteresting. I also don't see why this film is rated R, but maybe because most horror and thriller films are rated either PG-13 or R and most other horror films are also rated R hence the child killer movies such as "Children of the Corn", "Orphan", and "The Omen." I wouldn't really give this film an R, I would think it's OK for maybe a 12-year-old child to watch but I wouldn't let anyone younger than about 12 watch it hence the PG-13 rating.
As for the acting, it was pretty much about adequate at the most, not what I would expected. In which I heard some people complaining about the horrible acting of the story's protagonist but it could also be that people didn't really give a damn about the character also (as well as I did.) I could say that her acting was average at the most, but not good in any way. The girl can get annoying at times, let me tell you.
The directing could've gone away with a better cinematography. It was quite disappointing and could've had a better experience. Seriously, whoever directed this should get out of business. The writing was also quite horrible too, it had too many flaws, although it was suspenseful, but should've gotten less flaws.
I wouldn't recommend this film to anyone who likes horror, maybe to those of you who likes evil child movies, but you might as well be disappointed too. It's quite boring, unoriginal and uninteresting. As much as I would describe this film, I'd say "suspenseful" as the best description for this movie and also "The Good Son" too. As much as I didn't like "The Good Son" either, I'd say stick to "The Bad Seed" with Patty McCormak. I can admit that was pretty good.
As we go on, the child turns into an evil sadistic child killer and starts toying with the people she hates by literally murdering them one by one about almost each day to keep her and her father together. And with that, her friends and family become confused at this disaster as they get constant phone calls about people dying everyday and for what? An addictive child killer! As they began to try to get details out of Jody (the protagonist), she starts acting as though she is innocent to hide her psychopathic behavior.
I can give a good reason that I did not like this movie simply because I am not a fan of horror films and especially films where you have a child murderer. So, seriously, people, do we REALLY need another movie where you have a kid going around killing off members of her family for apparently no reason at all a la "The Good Son (1993)"?? And yet, do we also need another film where you have a psychopathic bratty or bullying kid acting as though she was innocent and after killing off all those people, she starts lying about it and hiding her true, dark personality a la "The Bad Seed (1956)"? Simply because this film uses parodies from "The Good Son" and "The Bad Seed", I found this to be boring and uninteresting. I also don't see why this film is rated R, but maybe because most horror and thriller films are rated either PG-13 or R and most other horror films are also rated R hence the child killer movies such as "Children of the Corn", "Orphan", and "The Omen." I wouldn't really give this film an R, I would think it's OK for maybe a 12-year-old child to watch but I wouldn't let anyone younger than about 12 watch it hence the PG-13 rating.
As for the acting, it was pretty much about adequate at the most, not what I would expected. In which I heard some people complaining about the horrible acting of the story's protagonist but it could also be that people didn't really give a damn about the character also (as well as I did.) I could say that her acting was average at the most, but not good in any way. The girl can get annoying at times, let me tell you.
The directing could've gone away with a better cinematography. It was quite disappointing and could've had a better experience. Seriously, whoever directed this should get out of business. The writing was also quite horrible too, it had too many flaws, although it was suspenseful, but should've gotten less flaws.
I wouldn't recommend this film to anyone who likes horror, maybe to those of you who likes evil child movies, but you might as well be disappointed too. It's quite boring, unoriginal and uninteresting. As much as I would describe this film, I'd say "suspenseful" as the best description for this movie and also "The Good Son" too. As much as I didn't like "The Good Son" either, I'd say stick to "The Bad Seed" with Patty McCormak. I can admit that was pretty good.
It's not a clone of The Bad Seed
Johan_Wondering_on_Waves9 June 2015
Warning: Spoilers
No this isn't a clone or spin off from The Bad Seed. While Rhoda from the Bad Seed was born evil, Jody became evil because she was traumatized for something that her mother did to her father when she was only 6 years old. With her biological mother taking her biological father away from her she developed some kind of hatred towards mother figures and an obsession with the father figure. But when she is adopted for the second time (by the Mitchells) her urge to kill expands to anyone trying to keep her away from her daddy (Don). The way how she does it is pretty clever biding her time and making sure she isn't caught. She also knows pretty well how to lie and that no one is suspecting her. The only ones not really falling for her innocence are classmate Claire Landers and her cousin Karen Conners. Karen is the one going on investigation and finding out the truth about Jodie. I really liked the movie even though the ending was quite abrupt.
Rhoda Penmark must be rolling in her grave
mikelippenkrantz14 April 2015
Warning: Spoilers
Ever since "The Bad Seed" shocked and horrified audiences in the late 1950s', someone, at least once a decade, has attempted to recreate it's murderous mayhem. This was the '90s entry into the race, and it's a pitiful one. I don't get the "R" rating at all. This movie could fit comfortably on Lifetime Movie Network as it is. I suppose I should get to the plot. Well...there's this girl...who loves her adopted Father...a little too much...will kill anyone who tries to tear them apart...and that's about it. While it's professionally directed to look like a TV movie of the week, everything else (the acting, the writing, the atmosphere) is tone deaf and laughable. The guys at RiffTrax could do wonders with this.
The Omen for the 90s
photoe19 May 2008
Warning: Spoilers
Daddy's Girl fits the typical horror date-movie mold, although I think there is something especially frightening about a child being the main villain, probably because everyone lets their guard down around a child who is still strong enough to push grandma down the stairs.
The movie fits the B-movie mold, but the acting is far better than average. The satanic little girl is played scarily but very precisely by Boni, who is totally gripping in a script that turns a kid into a criminal genius and psychopath rolled into one. Its just really an unusual experience to watch a child carry a whole movie, especially as a villain.
The people around her who become her victims or try to uncover the evil little girl's history are also excellently played., as is clueless daddy, by William Katt, the Great American Hero. The explanation of the whole story at the end is credible and a cautionary tale about a child adrift without parents who turns into a pit bull instead of a shrinking violet. Its fairly unrealistic that a child could be this savvy and diabolical, but that's what movies are for.
Daddys Girl is very engaging, as well as tightly directed and shot, so all I can dock it for is its genre, though its far more entertaining and effective than the vast majority of b-movies. I also haven't seen anything quite like it, except for the Omen, in which the kid had the excuse of being the seed of Satan. Daddy's Girl has no excuse. She is just real smart, real twisted, and thoroughly dangerous.
The movie fits the B-movie mold, but the acting is far better than average. The satanic little girl is played scarily but very precisely by Boni, who is totally gripping in a script that turns a kid into a criminal genius and psychopath rolled into one. Its just really an unusual experience to watch a child carry a whole movie, especially as a villain.
The people around her who become her victims or try to uncover the evil little girl's history are also excellently played., as is clueless daddy, by William Katt, the Great American Hero. The explanation of the whole story at the end is credible and a cautionary tale about a child adrift without parents who turns into a pit bull instead of a shrinking violet. Its fairly unrealistic that a child could be this savvy and diabolical, but that's what movies are for.
Daddys Girl is very engaging, as well as tightly directed and shot, so all I can dock it for is its genre, though its far more entertaining and effective than the vast majority of b-movies. I also haven't seen anything quite like it, except for the Omen, in which the kid had the excuse of being the seed of Satan. Daddy's Girl has no excuse. She is just real smart, real twisted, and thoroughly dangerous.
Unsettlingly plausible and fiendishly scripted
bob_meg5 June 2011
As is probably obvious from my past reviews, I have a weak spot for both Slasher and Bad Seed genre flicks. What I really liked about "Daddy's Girl" was that it violated a lot of my expectations and especially the formula that many BS movies (kind of an appropriate abbreviation) have followed in recent years, most notably the wildly overrated and amazingly dumb "Orphan."
Let's be real for a second. Yes, I know this is a Pierre David production, which almost spells HACKFLICK at the starting gate. This isn't an A-grade production. The acting is OK...it's competent, as is the direction. You're not going to get an Oscar worthy film that blows your doors off or even something as stylized as Fatal Attraction. It does, however, manage to keep your attention, and I believe that's largely due to Steve Pesce's script, which is more well-researched and plotted than this class of picture usually deserves.
Unlike the reviewer who raved about the script being abysmal, I thought there was a very logical progression to the problem child's (Gabrielle Boni) psychosis. Her back-story synced up well with her behaviors and motivations and she isn't presented for the first third of the film as a raving, terminally evil, maniacal psycho. Sure, she's got maladaptive behaviors, but the triggers for these behaviors turning lethal are plausible --- at least to an developing, unstable mind.
In addition, there are many twists that occur which you don't see coming and many false leads. And the kills are, while not 100% bulletproof, pretty damn clever and well within the means of a capable (and motivated) child.
To top it off, It doesn't end in the usual way, either. It's a strange ending, in that it doesn't hit any of the usual horror movie clichés.
And that's overall why I'd recommend it. Many have commented that Rosi's performance is one-note, horrible, and hammy --- I'd say it's pretty close to dead on considering how unstable her character is supposed to be. It's not an "actorly" or polished performance and that actually feels right here. Yes, she spouts villain one liners but....maybe she watches a lot of Bad Seed movies.
Let's be real for a second. Yes, I know this is a Pierre David production, which almost spells HACKFLICK at the starting gate. This isn't an A-grade production. The acting is OK...it's competent, as is the direction. You're not going to get an Oscar worthy film that blows your doors off or even something as stylized as Fatal Attraction. It does, however, manage to keep your attention, and I believe that's largely due to Steve Pesce's script, which is more well-researched and plotted than this class of picture usually deserves.
Unlike the reviewer who raved about the script being abysmal, I thought there was a very logical progression to the problem child's (Gabrielle Boni) psychosis. Her back-story synced up well with her behaviors and motivations and she isn't presented for the first third of the film as a raving, terminally evil, maniacal psycho. Sure, she's got maladaptive behaviors, but the triggers for these behaviors turning lethal are plausible --- at least to an developing, unstable mind.
In addition, there are many twists that occur which you don't see coming and many false leads. And the kills are, while not 100% bulletproof, pretty damn clever and well within the means of a capable (and motivated) child.
To top it off, It doesn't end in the usual way, either. It's a strange ending, in that it doesn't hit any of the usual horror movie clichés.
And that's overall why I'd recommend it. Many have commented that Rosi's performance is one-note, horrible, and hammy --- I'd say it's pretty close to dead on considering how unstable her character is supposed to be. It's not an "actorly" or polished performance and that actually feels right here. Yes, she spouts villain one liners but....maybe she watches a lot of Bad Seed movies.
OK, but could be better
vengeance2019 March 2015
Warning: Spoilers
I heard about this film not long after the 1992 psychotic child killer Mikey! Which this film had a couple of similarities to. After viewing a trailer this film looked good, I wasn't expecting anything but the trailer (as they do) looked good & I though the film was going to be equally as great.
The film wasn't as good, but it was OK & wasn't that bad. The main problem with the film is the body count, only 4 people got killed off in the space of an hour & a half! That would be murder for the Friday 13th films or the Scream films especially! The deaths themselves were OK, nothing I haven't seen before, hospital suffocation, bludgeoning, stabbing etc. But they were decent enough to cause a dark, unsettling & disturbing vibe like Mikey did! The film had some unpredictable moments in it like when she think she killed her Gran or near the end where she thought her foster mum was dead.
The story for the film is about a 10 year old red head named Jodie. A girl whose been passed on from foster family to foster family. She grows attached to her father in the film & gets so attached, that she can't even bare to think of them both being separated & stops at nothing to make sure no one comes get between them & kills anyone who dares to part them both!
Although the film did lack blood quite a lot in the film it wasn't all that bad, the kills weren't bloody enough for my standards! I like my films to be Gory, but this film wasn't bad for deaths at all!
The ending of the film was quite surprising & very good! I like how Jodie screwed up & the father finds out what Jodie actually is like & disowns her while she sobs! Although I would've wanted to see her get taken away & locked up the ending pretty much seemed to tie up & wasn't like those clichéd endings where the killer gets away with it! This ending was satisfying & didn't disappoint!
I overall found the film to be OK, not great, but OK. The film lacked the body count which was 4, not so good & too spaced out for my tastes as I like my films fast paced & meaty! 6/10
The film wasn't as good, but it was OK & wasn't that bad. The main problem with the film is the body count, only 4 people got killed off in the space of an hour & a half! That would be murder for the Friday 13th films or the Scream films especially! The deaths themselves were OK, nothing I haven't seen before, hospital suffocation, bludgeoning, stabbing etc. But they were decent enough to cause a dark, unsettling & disturbing vibe like Mikey did! The film had some unpredictable moments in it like when she think she killed her Gran or near the end where she thought her foster mum was dead.
The story for the film is about a 10 year old red head named Jodie. A girl whose been passed on from foster family to foster family. She grows attached to her father in the film & gets so attached, that she can't even bare to think of them both being separated & stops at nothing to make sure no one comes get between them & kills anyone who dares to part them both!
Although the film did lack blood quite a lot in the film it wasn't all that bad, the kills weren't bloody enough for my standards! I like my films to be Gory, but this film wasn't bad for deaths at all!
The ending of the film was quite surprising & very good! I like how Jodie screwed up & the father finds out what Jodie actually is like & disowns her while she sobs! Although I would've wanted to see her get taken away & locked up the ending pretty much seemed to tie up & wasn't like those clichéd endings where the killer gets away with it! This ending was satisfying & didn't disappoint!
I overall found the film to be OK, not great, but OK. The film lacked the body count which was 4, not so good & too spaced out for my tastes as I like my films fast paced & meaty! 6/10
If you're up at 3am and it's on, watch it, it's a laugh riot.
jheisel26 June 1999
So there I was. I'd been trying to get to sleep for nearly two hours, and so I turned on the tv. Grace Under Fire was just ending, and as my clock turned 3, _Daddy's Girl_ came on. I hit sleep/20 minutes on my remote and took off my glasses, expecting to pass out soon. Well, now it's well after 5am, and I'm stillup writing this, so you tell me what that means. Anyhow, _Daddy's Girl_ tells the touching story of young Jody, a girl who has been tossed around foster families for her entire life. Her current family loves her, but she really loves her father. She perceives everyone as a threat to take her away from her father, and, as any girl in the same situation would do, kills them all. Yep, school principal, grandmother, mother, adoption counselor -- she even attempts to kill her meddling cousin. This movie has some of the cheesiest and stilted dialogue I've ever had the pleasure to see. Through all the porno commercials and ads for the psychic friends ("Your husband is cheating on you." "Thanks so much! I'm so glad I called!"... I don't know about you, but if I called the psychic friends and they told me that, I'd be pretty upset and maybe go on a rampage like little Jody!), _Daddy's Girl_ kept me from turning the tv off, and so now I've been up all night, and I'll likely be up for another 20 some hours before I finally go to sleep. Kudos to the cast and crew of this film for making some of the finest garbage I've ever had the pleasure to view on network tv at 3am!
A little adopted ten year old fights to keep her new family together, even by killing!
file6ft1904 January 2000
I love thrillers anyway and can usually be found surfing the dial for something dark and creepy to watch. But what's so weird about this flick is it's all shot in daylight. Everything is white and shining and happy. It's like a Disney flick. The people even talk like it's a TV movie. But then the little girl is offing people. It's very twisted. I Dig where the little girl's coming from. I think I was routing for her! Actually I think she's the one we're supposed to route for. I like flickers that make oddball choices, so I enjoyed it. Check it
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