Anger. Isolation. Grief. Vengeance. Director/co-writer Jordan Downey’s bounty hunter revenge tale The Head plays heavily on these themes while building towards a heart-pounding, devastating climax. Set in medieval times, it tells the story of a Viking warrior (Christopher Rygh) coping with the loss of his only daughter. While working as a bounty hunter for the local monarchy, Rygh’s nameless character is driven by a singular focus: getting revenge on the creature who took her from him.
We never actually get to see the Viking battle these fantastical monsters, but we do get to see the end results of these hunts. He always returns home from his hunts an exhausted, battle-damaged, perpetually grieving man. We know he is a great warrior, as he always returns with his reward from the castle and a souvenir of his wars: the creatures’ heads. As he slowly peels off his armor and applies a supernatural, quick-healing black goo to his near-fatal wounds before passing out, we can’t help but feel for him. Rygh’s performance here is outstanding, carrying the emotional weight of the film while displaying equal parts pathos and rage.
The film is a slow burn, make no mistake. Much like the Tom Hanks’ classic Cast Away, the film takes place in a single location, (mostly) with only one character for the majority of the movie. There is very little dialogue and no narration to fill the viewer in on the warrior’s actions. But that only adds to the somber tone of the film. The terrific score, creature effects, and beautiful landscape (shot on location in Portugal) do a tremendous job keeping the audience hooked and propelling the action forward. This concept might not work with a longer film, but the brisk 72-minute runtime helps avoid viewer fatigue.

Shot on a shoestring budget of $20,000 with a three-man crew, The Head puts every cent of that budget on screen. Cinematographer and co-writer Kevin Stewart, who grew up in Portugal, does an excellent job giving the movie the look of a film with a budget ten times that amount. Many of the scenes are lit using only candlelight and torches, and drone-work is utilized to great effect to film the gorgeous terrain. In particular, the climax, shot in a water mine, is an incredible achievement of terrific lighting and location. Inspired by films and television such as The 13th Warrior, Game of Thrones, and the 1981 Ron Perlman prehistoric fantasy Quest for Fire, The Head does a marvelous job crafting a unique tale from all these elements.
The movie engages the viewer from the get-go, throwing them into the deep end and offering only enough to keep them from drowning. The filmmakers certainly don’t dumb things down for its audience, as they expect them to slowly piece together the story from the gradual reveal of information. Reminiscent of some of the best episodes of Tales from The Crypt, the result is a riveting, original fantasy that keeps the viewers invested until the very end. It would do the film a great disservice to give away much of the shocking conclusion, so I won’t do so here. Part Stephen King, part Cronenberg, it’s a twist you won’t see coming.
The Head had its North American premiere this past weekend at the Telluride Horror Show. It will also be showing this weekend at Nightmares Film Festival in Columbus, Ohio. The filmmakers are currently working on distribution plans for the film. You can keep up-to-date on the latest news regarding the film’s release at TheHeadMovie.com or on Twitter.