Dolly
Director: Rod Blackhurst
Starring: Fabianne Therese, Seann William Scott, Ethan Suplee, Max the Impaler
Genre: Horror
Runtime: 83 minutes
Calling back to the hazy days of 1970s horror - specifically The Texas Chain Saw Massacre - Rod Blackhurst's Dolly is a true homage to days gone by. Shot on Super 16mm, it feels like a vintage film - gritty, grimy, reliant on practical effects and gore, and complete with a plot thinner than paper. It focuses on Chase (Scott) and Macy (Therese) as they undertake a hike in the woods, with Chase planning to pop the question. However, their trek is cut brutally short by a hulking monster wearing a doll’s mask - aptly named Dolly - who wants to take Macy and raise her as her own daughter…her own baby daughter.
"Less is more could also be levelled at the short runtime, but, again, this proved to be an inspired choice as Dolly never has the chance to outstay its welcome."
With its grindhouse aesthetic and gnarly physical effects, Dolly is a brutal, violent, and slightly comical ride. Whilst the overall look of the film could be simply a gimmick elsewhere, here it feels dangerous. Given the already bizarre - and mostly unexplained - situation the characters find themselves in, watching it unfold behind a curtain of grain feels like an inspired choice, one that should help the film stand out among its 2026 peers. Not being given a deluge of exposition was another positive choice from Blackhurst and writing partner Brandon Weavil, though the cynic in me wonders if this was done to leave room for potential sequels. Whatever the case, less is more here, as was the case with its contemporaries.
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Less is more could also be levelled at the short runtime, but, again, this proved to be an inspired choice as Dolly never has the chance to outstay its welcome. Given the story, violence levels, and general bleak tone, it could have easily lost its edge had it continued for a further fifteen or twenty minutes. Given the shallow plot, it was clear that the narrative also could not sustain itself for longer than it did. Fabianne Therese is probably also thankful that there weren't more scenes as she throws herself physically into the role - she screams, she sweats, she bleeds, and she takes a beating, and she is great here. Sean William Scott is his usual affable self as Chase, but Max the Impaler (a professional wrestler by trade) impresses in their silent, skittish, imposing performance, bringing a real sense of power and presence to the role of Dolly.
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The practical effects used throughout are very well executed throughout, with Blackhurst relying on in-camera effects rather than CGI. There's a retro charm to some of the effects, despite some horrific injuries on show, and the intensity of the film sometimes affords a more generous opinion to a handful of them. One particular effect is bloody and vicious, though one questions how anyone could survive the injury, let alone attempt to fight on. But that is Dolly - if you look too deep, it risks falling apart - but, again, the bleakness employed is engaging enough for certain aspects to be forgiven. It spirals into further griminess and bizarreness the further into the story it goes, and threatens to derail somewhat in the final third but ultimately holding together to deliver a strong conclusion.
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If you're looking for something just a little bit nasty that brings the vintage vibes without feeling more than an homage (part of the hiking trail leads to 'Hooper Mine'), then Dolly could be what you're after. It isn't flawless but it knows exactly what it is and plays to its strengths before getting out while it’s ahead.
February 23rd 2026