DOLLY (2025) | Film Review
- Adam Williams & Mike Murphy
- Mar 5
- 3 min read
There’s something inherently unsettling about dolls…dolls with porcelain faces specifically. My sister had one when we were growing up, and I’m still convinced it was always watching me *shudders*. Anyway… from the cold, glassy stare to the idea that something so childlike could harbour something so malevolent, it’s a trope that rarely goes out of style.
DOLLY tries to tap into that primal unease, stitching together backwoods brutality, grimy aesthetics and a villain who feels ripped straight from a nightmare. The result? A film that has all the right ingredients, but doesn’t quite bind them together tightly enough.
Let’s start with the performances, because that’s where DOLLY does a lot right. Max the Impaler delivers a wonderfully twisted turn as the titular character. There’s an unpredictability to the performance that keeps you on edge – a feral, chaotic energy that feels authentic rather than forced. Much like Gunnar Hansen did with Leatherface, Max has made this their own. I reference Hansen, as the similarities with the film don’t just end with Dolly, but we’ll get to that a little later.
Sean William Scott is solid throughout, bringing a grounded presence that helps anchor some of the more unhinged moments. Wasn’t a fan of some of the stuff that happened with him later in the film; I’m always happy to suspend disbelief to a certain extent when watching most films, but bits of this was borderline laughable. Fabiane Teresa also gives a strong performance, committing fully to the emotional beats even when the script doesn’t give her quite enough to work with.
Then there’s Ethan Suplee, who is incredibly under used in this. It’s frustrating, because you can feel there was potential for something memorable there, and maybe open the story a bit more, yet the film never truly capitalises on it. He’s present, he’s capable, but he’s never given the space to leave a truly lasting mark.
The dialogue, however, creates a conflict with these competent actors. The material is uninspired and, at times, generally misguided and ham-fisted. Albeit, silence and reactions are in abundance, compensating for the awkward moments between two, or more, characters making the most of the poorly developed dialogue.
Where DOLLY begins to stumble is in its storytelling. The narrative feels muddled, as though key pieces of information were either trimmed down too much in the edit or never fully developed in the first place. You’re given just enough to follow what’s happening, but not quite enough to become fully invested. Emotional stakes don’t land as hard as they should, and motivations sometimes feel confusing.
DOLLY (2025) | Film Review
The technical side is a mixed bag. The sound design, unfortunately, is one of the weaker elements. Horror lives and dies by its audio cues, and here the impact just isn’t as sharp as Dolly’s shovel is. The editing doesn’t always help either – several jumps and genuinely creepy moments feel slightly mistimed, blunting what could have been standout scares.
However, the cinematography is the film’s saving grace. Meticulously crafted and visually confident, it keeps your attention even when the story falters. There’s a clear love letter here to gritty, sun-bleached horror of the past – particularly Tobe Hooper’s 1974 classic The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. You can see the inspiration in the framing, the textures, the characters, the atmosphere, the performances and (at times) the story.
Unfortunately, that admiration occasionally becomes a weakness. At times, DOLLY feels like it’s trying a little too hard to channel that same raw lightning-in-a-bottle energy TCM has, and it edges dangerously close to feeling like a shoddy imitation rather than a fresh evolution. Paying homage is one thing; living in the shadow of your inspiration is another creating a ‘victim by its own design’ presentation.
That said, this isn’t a bad film. Far from it. There’s a strong villain at its core, flashes of real visual brilliance, and enough ambition to suggest this could be the beginning of something bigger. Tighten up the script, refine the pacing, sharpen the technical execution – and you could have something genuinely special on your hands.
In fact, a follow-up leaning fully into slasher territory – something in the vein of Friday the 13th – could be exactly what this property needs. There’s franchise potential here. With the right direction, DOLLY could absolutely carve out its own bloody legacy, and sit amongst the greats like Krueger, Myers, Voorhees, Leatherface, Ghostface and Chucky.
As it stands, it’s a film that almost reaches greatness but settles for “almost.” Still, if a sequel comes knocking, I’ll happily come along for the ride. Would love to see more of DOLLY!
DOLLY hits UK cinemas Friday 6th March.
