written by: Rod Blackhurst and Brandon Weavil
produced by: Rod Blackhurst, Joseph C. Grano, Noah Lang, Bryce McGuire, Ross O’Connor, Esteban Sanchez, Isaiah Smallman & Betty Tong
directed by: Rod Blackhurst
rated: R (for strong violence, gore, grisly images, language, and some nudity)
runtime: 83 min.
U.S. release date: March 6, 2026

Although it’s filmed in Tennessee, “Dolly” is not a Dolly Parton biopic, nor is it an exhaustive look at the history of dolly shots in film. Think more along the lines of Tobe Hooper’s “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre”, minus the chainsaws and the massacre, which co-producer/director Rod Blackhurst certainly had in mind when he and his crew filmed this demented, gory, and grisly horror flick in the Chattanooga woods on 16mm in 2024. There may not be much of a story in this middle-of-nowhere nightmare, and horror tropes are intact, but the mise-en-scène of the feature proves Blackhurst isn’t fooling around here.

“Dolly” begins by introducing us to the couple who will become the inevitable victims of the disturbing titular character. Before Chase (Sean William Scott) and his girlfriend, Macy (Fabianne Therese), head out for a short hiking trip, Chase drops off his young daughter at his sister’s place. He’s bringing an engagement ring along for the trip, hoping to propose to Macy at a picturesque location. Macy has a hunch about Chase’s plan, yet shares her hesitancy about long-term commitment with her friend over the phone, and therefore isn’t sure how she’ll respond.

In a movie like this, viewers are wary of red flags in the storyline that should indicate the characters should know better than their actions and/or behavior. That is, they should be wary. Not long into the pair’s hike, they encounter a creepy scene in the woods, a shrine-like situation where dirty and broken dolls are either nailed to trees or strung up like garland or strewn around the ground. They’re puzzled by the find, but clearly not enough to head right back to their car, because that’s what anyone in the real world would do.

Just as Chase is about to pull the ring out of his backpack and take a knee before Macy, he hears a chimy, sing-song noise coming from where the doll shrine was. He pauses, then leaves Macy to check it out. Another red flag! I’m sorry, but this is where two cautious, sane people would have a conversation before going back to that creepy area. Because they don’t, Chase and Macy wind up stepping into the kind of trope actions we expect from a horror movie, and that’s too bad.

Chase’s curiosity inevitably introduces him to Dolly (Max the Impaler), a hulking monstrosity wearing a cracked ceramic doll mask and armed with a shovel. Dressed like a raggedy, life-size doll and found muttering to herself in distress, clearly disturbed that her sacred ground has been tainted by strangers. In quick retaliation, she attacks Chase, startling him and using her shovel to cap his knee and grotesquely separate his jaw from the rest of his head. Here we go! Blackhurst wastes no time establishing what kind of violence we’re getting into.

Of course, Macy wonders where Chase has gone off to, which means it’s her turn to meet Dolly. Horrified at finding Chase’s bloodied and limp body, Macy doesn’t see Dolly coming, and next thing she knows, she’s knocked out and is carried back to Dolly’s home like a rag doll. Dolly now has a new plaything in Macy, someone she can personally attend to like her own baby, including providing her with a crib, a high chair for feeding, diaper changes, and even some breastfeeding.

Macy immediately realizes the gravity of her situation when she finds herself in a baby’s room, complete with a crib, rocking chair, and various stuffed animals and toys. She is alone, dressed up in baby clothes, but through one wall can hear a desperate man’s voice calling out to her, asking her to get a key. He tells Macy she must “play along”, and soon enough, she will find out what that means. Once Dolly checks on her, Macy realizes how unstable, strong, and weird her host is, communicating solely with grunts and moaning, head-shaking, and fidgety hand gestures.

At no point in any of this is Blackhurst aiming for any kind of levity. While there are a few attempts at camp, the depravity, violent torment, and mental panic overwhelm just about every frame of “Dolly”. It gets exhausting to endure and tedious to watch.  The macabre tale embraces queasy scenes, like doll repair time after Macy’s ear is nearly torn off by her new owner, and we also check in on Chase’s unlikely survival in the woods, as he painfully crawls his way to find Macy.

At just about every turn, Blackhurst reminds us of his affinity for the horror subgenre of “rural horror” that Tobe Hooper started back in 1974 –  the man (Ethan Suplee) connected to the mysterious voice Macy hears is even named Tobe. Blackhurst definitely has a creative penchant for viciousness and commits to the grimy and grainy look of the picture, consistent throughout.

Blackhurst co-wrote the screenplay with Brandon Weavil, based on his 2022 short “Babygirl”, not to be confused with Nicole Kidman’s erotic psychological drama from 2024. At times, it feels like the screenplay goes beyond its expiration date just to offer another awful moment to top the last one. That being said, “Dolly” doesn’t drag. In fact, it’s thankfully over before you know it, which finally offers viewers a break.

On that note, “Dolly” indeed knows its audience, and if you find yourself watching it, you have an idea what you’ve gotten yourself into. At a time when there are a couple of new horror movies dropping every week, at least this one’s commitment is commendable, but whether or not you find it admirable depends on your own proclivities for visceral violence and senseless brutality.

RATING: **