Do You Want to Play Dolls?: DOLLY (2025) Review
Nostalgia is a theme that has continued to increase its grip around the throat of the modern film industry. From requels to reboots to 80s action inspired throwbacks, we are seeing an advent of films that are harking back to different times to give us feelings of nostalgia. One nostalgia trend, I highly appreciate, that's making waves in the film industry both indie and major studio, is directors wanting to shoot on film again. There's something special about shooting on film that gives a movie a unique texture, an unfiltered view into the mind of the creator behind the lens. It's something that some try to mimic in post production from digital footage, but there's nothing like the real thing. Which is why from the moment I laid eyes on that first scene of Rod Blackhurst's latest film DOLLY, shot on Kodak 16mm, I knew I was in for a feast.
DOLLY follows the story of Macy (Fabianne Therese) and Chase (Seann William Scott) as they hike to an overlook deep into the woods where Chase plans to propose. It's here where they discover an odd arrangement of dolls all around the woods and inevitably step into the absolute wrath of DOLLY (Max the Impaler), a mountain of a person who wears a creepy porcelain doll mask and doesn't like their playtime interrupted.
It's apparent from the moment you lay eyes on DOLLY, that the film pays homage to 70s classic horror films such as The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and The Hills Have Eyes. It oozes their essence while adding in a French horror extreme layer that will leave your face twisted in anguish as the body horror is put on full display.
After Macy and Chase's encounter with DOLLY, Macy is taken captive and brought to a house where she is subjected to DOLLY's twisted vision of forcing her to be her child. It's in this house that most of the film takes place and for DOLLY's runtime, we are subjected to heart pounding moments of the game of cat and mouse to extreme gore moments that will have the gore lovers talking for weeks to come. As DOLLY takes weighted steps through the halls and exudes her manic aura, you can't help but see the inspirations from icons such as Leatherface and Michael Myers. DOLLY is a force to be reckoned with. Let's not forget that all this carnage, creepiness, and suspense is complemented and enhanced with a haunting score that broods across the film, consistently making you feel uneasy and anticipating the upcoming horrors.
While DOLLY doesn't have the most in-depth story , it does tickle the mind about love, sympathy, and even forgiveness. The film understands what made those iconic 70s horror films special with moments of hand held shots on film giving sequences such an unfiltered and gritty feeling. DOLLY is relentless, raw, and unforgiving from to start finish. Fans longing for some good new age 70s horror film vibes need look no further. DOLLY is here and wants to play.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5
Note: This film was reviewed during Fantastic Fest 2025.
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