In the latest film from Eugene Kotlyarenko, Spree, David Arquette portrays Kris Kunkle, who changes the classic dad tropes in the horror genre. Kurt is not only the father of a ride share driver named Kurt Kunkle (Joe Keery)—who is on a killing spree—but he's also a DJ with a semi-decent social media following. Despite the comedic and outlandish traits that Arquette's character exhibits, Kris Kunkle manages to challenge the expectations set for fathers of the horror genre.
David Arquette is well-known for his role as Deputy Dewey Riley in Wes Craven's 1996 slasher Scream. He portrayed the character for a total of four installments with Scream 5 on the way. The horror icon that he is, the filmmaker's choice for casting him in Spree was an obvious choice. Horror comedies, such as Scary Movie (2000), have embraced the somewhat oblivious personality that Dewey Riley exhibited by parodying him. Arquette has starred in his fair share of movies in the genre as well, like Eight Legged Freaks (2002) and The Tripper (2006), which he also directed. The sub-genre of horror comedy is not unfamiliar territory of the actor, which made him the perfect choice to portray Kris Kunkle.
Undoubtedly, he is aware of the tropes that most horror dads exhibit, especially those in the sub-genre of horror-comedy. Arquette's career spans several decades and approximately 50 films. As horror tropes continually grow stale with an overabundance of use, his character changes the entire genre's use of a father figure, and shows how such a figure can actually serve as a pre-cursor to the impending horror by being an instigator.
David Arquette Changes Horror Dad Tropes
Kris Kunkle is an oblivious father who not only neglects his child's needs, but also takes advantage of him. There are an array of issues with his treatment towards Kurt, but these character framing elements are established in the very beginning of the film. In the first scene between the two, Kris appears too busy for his son as he works on a new beat for a fellow DJ. When Kurt asks for his attention, his father appears irritated and disinterested. This may be due to issues pertaining to his parents' divorce, which caused him to live with his mother. Throughout the film, the two share a relatively tumultuous relationship where Kurt doesn't want to be bothered with his dad, and all Kris wants is to take advantage of what his son has to offer him.
It is a dead-end relationship where neither one of them achieves any true satisfaction or joy from it. Commonly, dads in horror films are overly attentive and protective of their children, such as Louis Creed in Pet Sematary (1989), missing like the father in The Babadook (2014), or the murderer in movies like Mom And Dad (2017). It's rare that the father figure in a horror film presents themselves as a believable parent with all of their faults and influence being placed on their children. Kris influences the way that Kurt views his worth. If he is not getting attention from followers, he feels alone due to his father's emotional absence. In fact, in one scene between the two, Kurt situates himself as a meek and timid child who begs his dad for some form of help, but Kris is resistant and dismissive. This only fuels his son's drive for some form of attention which, subsequently, is murder streamed for anyone to witness.
Rather than stick to the tropes of overly attentive, out of the picture, or murderous, Kris Kunkle is the amalgamation of every horror father, presented as a somewhat believable and flawed parent. He did not directly influence Kurt's killings, nor did his lack of attentiveness. Instead, he dismissed it and failed to recognize the issues with his son's behavior. This is not entirely his fault, but it does make him more relatable to audiences. In real life, not all people—parents included—notice when there is someone with a need that isn't being met. Ultimately, David Arquette's character in Spree changes horror father tropes most notably because he draws on real-world elements of parenting.