When you consider how many Texas Chainsaw Massacre films there are and how many of them are just not good, can you really get mad when a knockoff comes along that’s kind of fun? No, Dolly isn’t about a family of cannibals, but the character of Dolly is mostly Leatherface in a dress, replacing a skin mask for a doll mask and instead of a chainsaw, Dolly’s weapon of choice is a shovel. The film is also a nice departure from the typical psycho killer hillbillies running around the woods. No victims are being forced to squeal like a pig but instead are coddled like a baby, still creepy but just not as traumatizing. This is a film that certainly knows where it’s inspiration came from, and the result is a film that is ripe for watching late at night, and even better if you have a camping trip or hike planned in the near future. Does this mean the film’s any good? Well, grab onto your nearest and dearest dolly or plushy, and I’ll tell you all about it.
Chase (Sean William Scott) is planning to take Macy (Fabianne Therese), his girlfriend, on a hiking trip through the woods of Tennessee. This isn’t just a random hike; he plans on proposing to her. Chase s a single dad, and Macy is struggling to decide if she is ready to step in and be a mom. Unfortunately all this stuff is just filler at the start of the film and is just a sprinkle of character development, because it’s not long before they are on the trail and they start finding creepy dolls hanging from trees. It’s not long after that that Chase breaks one of the cardinal sins of horror films and treks alone into the woods to investigate sounds he hears. We know where this is going. What’s frustrating is that it happens too soon. We don’t get enough time with this couple, nor do we get any time for tension to build; it just jumps to the violence, and for me that’s this film’s biggest flaw. It’s 80 minutes long. If we could have just gotten a few more scenes to develop the character and create some tension, this easily could have elevated the film.
It’s when Macy gets taken to Dolly’s home where the film picks up some steam and gets creepy. Dolly is played by the professional wrestler Max The Impaler. They are a large and intimidating brute despite wearing a baby doll dress and a mask. This is a very physical performance. The character doesn’t speak (another nod to Leatherface) ,but they are able to convey their twisted intentions for Macy, and it’s not pleasant. Macy is basically imprisoned in the house to be treated as a baby till either she escapes or dies and in the process, She discovers Dolly has had quite a few victims who had gruesome demises. It’s also in the home Macy discovers Dolly isn’t the only threat when we meet Tobe (a nearly unrecognizable Ethan Suplee), who is Dolly’s father.
There are plenty of things to like in this film. It has some good practical FX, some great production design for a small budget, and some solid camera work. Ethan Suplee is also a standout here. Sure, he’s done great with his body transformation, but he is genuinely creepy in this film. The third act does feel a bit rushed, but it works because it was riding with some momentum. There were some camera choices I felt were a bit jarring, but nothing that was too distracting. What I do like is that the film does set things up where they can easily do a sequel or prequels and expand on the mythology they’ve created. I feel there is a lot of material they can mine here, but I’m curious if this film has enough of a draw to warrant any follow-up films. This isn’t a film trying to change the genre; it’s just trying to be a fun late-night movie, and it succeeds in doing that.
