I was really saddened to see at the end of the credits that this was a crowdfunded project. You can meet some of the backers here. Some real glowing reviews for this turd.
Strike #1: British horror! Revealed on an old videotape from 2014(!), during the Bannister family Christmas, Molly receives a "dolly" from Santa that looks just like her. She names it Molly. Big sister leaves, and is killed by the doll. Father shows up, holds up the murder weapon, just in time for the police to see. (Dad pulls this boner TWICE in this movie. You'd think he'd learn after it happening the first time). No matter, cut to six months later, and Dad is living in a new apartment(!), separated from his family. It is revealed later he got off due to lack of evidence. Let's see, he was holding the knife, it had his fingerprints on it, and he had his daughters blood all over him. Puzzling. "The doll killed her!" is his defense. Puzzling. Also, this family shows zero signs of concern or grievance for their murdered daughter/sibling. Puzzling. One accusation is made from mother to father. End of story.
Yeah, some real issues on display here concerning what passes for "scary" or "intense," never mind your basic storytelling or characterization. First of all the girl who plays Molly, her attempts at what I'm assuming is supposed to be menacing, are wholly unsuccessful. She delivers her lines like she's bored and uninterested (I know, that's a character choice, right?). Another problem is the doll itself. Eerie? Disturbing? Creepy? No, this is like a nice, pleasant, inanimate doll you'd buy at your local doll store, if you've got one. It's just got this blank, dead-eye stare on its face, and literally, it appears, disappears, and rocks in its rocking chair. Like the unscariest doll they could come up with, absolutely no effort put into this rather large plot device.
The scares are primarily comprised of now-you-see-it, now-you-don't. Which is a tired old trope, that grows more tiresome the more you use it. In one scene, the doll appears hanging off a cabinet, and when Mum turns back it's gone. You heard me right.
SPOILER: I'm going to spoil the one "twist" this movie has going for it. The doll, the co-star of this debacle, is a freaking red herring. It is never explained what is wrong with the girl. You have to assume she's possessed. How original. There is another chapter in this story, maybe more is explained, I don't care to find out.
I don't know what the pitch was for this, but I feel bad for you guys, I really do.
I added an extra couple stars, because this film contains some great unintentional laughs. So it's not all a loss.
Strike #1: British horror! Revealed on an old videotape from 2014(!), during the Bannister family Christmas, Molly receives a "dolly" from Santa that looks just like her. She names it Molly. Big sister leaves, and is killed by the doll. Father shows up, holds up the murder weapon, just in time for the police to see. (Dad pulls this boner TWICE in this movie. You'd think he'd learn after it happening the first time). No matter, cut to six months later, and Dad is living in a new apartment(!), separated from his family. It is revealed later he got off due to lack of evidence. Let's see, he was holding the knife, it had his fingerprints on it, and he had his daughters blood all over him. Puzzling. "The doll killed her!" is his defense. Puzzling. Also, this family shows zero signs of concern or grievance for their murdered daughter/sibling. Puzzling. One accusation is made from mother to father. End of story.
Yeah, some real issues on display here concerning what passes for "scary" or "intense," never mind your basic storytelling or characterization. First of all the girl who plays Molly, her attempts at what I'm assuming is supposed to be menacing, are wholly unsuccessful. She delivers her lines like she's bored and uninterested (I know, that's a character choice, right?). Another problem is the doll itself. Eerie? Disturbing? Creepy? No, this is like a nice, pleasant, inanimate doll you'd buy at your local doll store, if you've got one. It's just got this blank, dead-eye stare on its face, and literally, it appears, disappears, and rocks in its rocking chair. Like the unscariest doll they could come up with, absolutely no effort put into this rather large plot device.
The scares are primarily comprised of now-you-see-it, now-you-don't. Which is a tired old trope, that grows more tiresome the more you use it. In one scene, the doll appears hanging off a cabinet, and when Mum turns back it's gone. You heard me right.
SPOILER: I'm going to spoil the one "twist" this movie has going for it. The doll, the co-star of this debacle, is a freaking red herring. It is never explained what is wrong with the girl. You have to assume she's possessed. How original. There is another chapter in this story, maybe more is explained, I don't care to find out.
I don't know what the pitch was for this, but I feel bad for you guys, I really do.
I added an extra couple stars, because this film contains some great unintentional laughs. So it's not all a loss.
