Dolly (Grindhouse Killer Doll Slasher)

 

This is a film I went into blind. I found Dolly on Shudder randomly and watched it. Let me tell you that this was the way. Again, I don’t like slashers as much as most horror fans, but this one is a must see. To be fair, definitely not a masterpiece, but it’s new, creative, and fun. The narrative follows Macy (Fabianne Therese) and Chase (Seann William Scott) going on a romantic walk in the Tennessee woods when they come across the demented Dolly (Max Lindsey, a female wrestler, who is unnamed in the film, but is referred to as “Dolly” in the credits). Dolly struggles with family issues and tries forces Macy back to her house in the woods where she treats her as a baby while taking on the role of the mother.

   

The film surprised me, because never did I imagine Stifler in a horror film again (shoutout to one of his early roles Final Destination). While he doesn’t have much screen time, and the film isn’t very long to begin with, he does well. Another detail that stands out is the visual, grindhouse tone: a yellow, grimy style that helps to create that woodsy, backwoods slasher environment. The narrative is formed in chapters, cleanly sectioning the film in several escalating points that set their preceding section up (and well done, for there’s no lag or boring point). I’ll be straight with y’all, this film is wild and fun. The practical effects give Dolly an authority in horror I haven’t seen for a bit (there’s one scene in particular that disgusts  me while making me excited all at the same time (a sensation I am not ashamed of). The fact that I had and still have not heard others mention it surprises me. I’m calling it right now: this film is gonna get a sequel, and then that one will get a sequel, and so on and so forth. Dolly has the potential to become a niche horror icon, like Victor Crowley from Hatchet or Otis from House of 1000 Corpses (the latter being one of my favorite horror characters). Mark my words: Dolly ain’t done.

 

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Written by Logan, Sexton of the Derelict Dead

Dolly (2025/2026)
IFC (Independent Film Company), Shudder
4.3 / 5