“Baghead,” directed by Alberto Corredor and starring Freya Allan, Peter Mullan, and Jeremy Irvine, is a supernatural horror film that explores the dark intersection of loss, desperation, and the supernatural. Based on Corredor’s own 2017 short, the film attempts to blend atmospheric dread with a cautionary tale about the consequences of tampering with forces beyond comprehension.
Premise and Plot
The film opens with Owen Lark (Peter Mullan), owner of a British-style pub in Berlin, confronting a horrifying secret in his basement: a mysterious, shape-shifting woman known only as Baghead. After a chilling encounter, Owen dies, leaving the pub—and its curse—to his estranged daughter, Iris (Freya Allan).
Iris, recently evicted and struggling financially, travels to Berlin to settle her father’s affairs. She soon discovers that the pub comes with an unsettling inheritance: Baghead, who can channel the dead for the living, but only for two minutes at a time. Any longer, and Baghead’s power grows dangerously uncontrollable.
Enticed by the prospect of making quick money, Iris allows grieving visitors to pay for a chance to speak to their lost loved ones through Baghead. But as she and her friend Katie (Ruby Barker) become more involved, they uncover the pub’s tragic history and Baghead’s growing influence. The rules are clear: break them, and Baghead’s grip tightens—with deadly consequences.
Atmosphere and Execution
The film’s strongest asset is its setting: the crumbling pub and its dank, labyrinthine basement ooze with gothic atmosphere. The rituals surrounding Baghead, the strict time limits, and the eerie transformation sequences add to the tension, and there are a handful of effective jump scares and unsettling moments.
Freya Allan delivers a compelling performance as Iris, balancing vulnerability with resourcefulness even as the script sometimes forces her into questionable decisions. Peter Mullan, mostly seen in flashbacks, brings gravitas to the role of Owen, while Jeremy Irvine’s Neil adds a layer of desperation and menace.
Themes and Symbolism
“Baghead” isn’t just about supernatural scares—it’s a story about grief, guilt, and the temptation to revisit the past. The film asks: What would you risk for one more conversation with someone you’ve lost? And at what cost? Baghead herself is a metaphor for unresolved trauma; the more the living cling to the dead, the more power the darkness gains.
The film also touches on greed and exploitation, as Iris’s initial desperation morphs into a willingness to profit from others’ pain—until the consequences become too dire to ignore.
Strengths
- Atmospheric setting: The pub and basement are suitably creepy, with strong production design that enhances the film’s gothic tone.
- Freya Allan’s performance: Allan brings depth and believability to Iris, making her a sympathetic protagonist even when her choices are questionable.
- Inventive premise: The idea of a supernatural entity facilitating conversations with the dead—at a terrible cost—offers fresh ground for horror.
Weaknesses
- Over-explained mythology: The film often bogs itself down with exposition, explaining rules and backstory at the expense of pacing and suspense.
- Inconsistent scares: While there are a few effective moments, the film struggles to maintain genuine terror throughout, sometimes relying too heavily on CGI and familiar horror tropes.
- Unfulfilled potential: Despite a strong start and intriguing setup, the film’s second half loses momentum, and some plot twists feel more confusing than satisfying.
Final Thoughts
“Baghead” is a horror film with a compelling hook and a memorable setting, but it doesn’t fully realize its potential. Freya Allan’s committed performance and the film’s atmospheric visuals make for an engaging watch, but a reliance on exposition and some muddled storytelling keep it from being truly terrifying or emotionally resonant. For fans of supernatural horror with a gothic twist—and those drawn to stories about grief and the dangers of meddling with the unknown—”Baghead” is worth a look, but don’t expect it to haunt you long after the credits roll.
Rating: 4/5