Director: Mj Dixon
Year: 2026
Country: United Kingdom
Alternate Titles: N/A
Genre: Killer Dolls
Plot:
Pulling off a daring heist, a group of thieves takes a special doll from a police lockup facility and returns to their hideout until their boss can offer them payment for the operation, but when they realize the doll they stole is genuinely cursed, they must figure out a plan to stop it.
Review:
This was a rather fun genre effort with a lot to like. Among the better factors with this one is a strong starting point that provides a solid beginning for the series of interactions that come about. With the opening introduction to the film taking the descriptions of the doll’s location and how much security they treat the whole thing with the guards on staff, only for the robbery to take place and lead to the whole thing getting botched when it turns into a gunfight that injures one of the robbers while killing the officers in charge, this produces the kind the worthwhile setting for the action to come. The chaos and confusion that come from their escalating situation in their safe house trying to make sense of the botched robbery attempt, from realizing the double-cross and what they were actually sent to steal to taking the spirit pout of the doll and setting it loose when the trapped gang is trying to find the truth about what’s going on, giving this a solid and entertaining setup.
With this all serving nicely to get the group held inside the building, this brings about some rather fun moments of the hopelessly outclassed and underpowered group being subjected to the supernatural attacks by the killer doll. The first sequences focusing on the group being manipulated and coerced into turning on each other make for a strong start to everything, while the first strike involving the doll’s spirit materializing to knock off the wounded victim is quite chilling. Later on, the appearance of the spirit outside of the doll’s body starts taking out the different members of the group inside the twisting corridors and darkened holding spaces in the facility, where the striking vocal work with the doll’s eerie laughs and screeches make for some chilling setpieces. With the finale offering a solid twist, involving the purpose behind the doll coming to life and what it all leads to, involving the fates of everyone else, this makes everything come together for a lot to like.
There are too many issues here holding this one down. The main issue present in the film is that the first half is quite light on genre features, with the focus on the group’s dynamics and the amount of trust they have when the double-crosses start, which keeps the supernatural action quite low. Being more of a crime drama about how much trust everyone has in others, with the way they start trying to make their getaway, get on with their lives, and forget the robbery, takes precedence over the killer doll so that it only gets revealed as the object of the heist around the halfway point, and it takes even later until it starts doing anything. With that setup, the final confrontations are immensely rushed and somewhat fly by, showcasing the strength of the doll’s power but at the expense of letting it breathe when it needed it. Combined with the low-budget limitations at places, these few factors keep this one down overall.
Overview: ****/5
An immensely enjoyable and likable indie genre effort, there’s quite a lot to like here with the rather likable factors on display here keeping this one up rather nicely over the few minor issues. Those with an appreciation for this kind of genre fare or who are fans of the creative crew will have a lot to enjoy with the film, while those turned off by these factors should heed caution.
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