By George & Josh Bate
Tennessee gave the world the legendary Dolly Parton. Now, the Southern state is giving us an entirely different kind of Dolly in Rod Blackhurst’s twisted, chilling, fairy tale-esque horror film premiering at Fantastic Fest 2025.
Dolly follows Macy (Fabianne Therese) and her boyfriend Chase (Seann William Scott) as they journey to a picturesque overlook where Chase plans to propose. Their nuptials are thrown out the window as, after stumbling onto a weird collection of dirty, broken dolls in the forest, Chase is gravely injured and Macy is taken hostage by a silent, hulking, child-like figure wearing a porcelain doll mask. The masked menace takes Macy back to her dilapidated home, where she makes Macy play the role of her doll / child (diaper changes and feedings included). Determined to escape, Macy does everything she can to escape her captor’s delusions and proclivity for violence.
Shot entirely on Super 16mm, Dolly captures the gritty, grainy style of low-budget horror movies of the past, namely Tobe Hooper’s The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. Scenes with characters using cell phones at the very beginning feel decidedly out-of-place as Blackhurst, with the technical specs and cinematography (the film is beautifully shot by Justin Derry) to back him up, crafts a grimy, aesthetically old-fashioned horror flick. Every scene moving forward from this beginning is seeped in increasing discomfort. The film’s visual texture clues audiences in that they are about to watch something disturbing – something they probably shouldn’t be watching in the first place (à la Wes Craven’s The Last House on the Left). This is backed by an unsettling score from Nick Bohun, which, put all together, sees Dolly triumph most in its cultivation of an unnerving, raw atmosphere.
Dolly couples this atmosphere with graphic and grotesque violence that only further fosters an uneasy viewing experience. The cast is minimal (there are essentially only four actors in the whole film), meaning there isn’t a plethora of cannon fodder for Blackhurst to use for on-screen kills. The director, co-writer, and producer doesn’t let this stop him from going extreme with his violence as his characters are exposed to body horror-levels of brutality. Images of the film will be seared in the minds of viewers long after watching, such is the shocking nature of the violence. The aforementioned gritty filmmaking and seemingly predominant use of practical effects make this violence look all the more realistic, raw, and, in turn, terrifying.
The realism and rawness of Dolly go hand-in-hand with the film’s simplicity, simultaneously one of its most compelling and most detracting elements. Besides a brief opening scene, Blackhurst’s film is shot entirely on location in a forest in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The grit and homegrown atmosphere of the movie genuinely make one think that a small group of filmmakers went into some random woods in the film of nowhere and shot a film on a shoestring budget (a statement that is probably true in a number of regards but importantly overlooks the craft underlying the film). The principal cast consists of four actors, two of whom are sidelined for large portions of the film. There’s only one interior location – the fittingly dirty and disgusting home of the doll-mask wearing killer, which was filmed in an old perfume factory. And, with a tight 83-minute runtime (including credits) to boot, collectively, all of this makes Dolly lean, simple viewing.
Unfortunately, however, this simplicity also means the film lacks little narrative and emotional substance. Dolly parallels Zach Cregger’s Barbarian in having an antagonist who harbors a twisted depiction of what motherhood should be, and distinguishes each section with distinct, one-word titled chapters. But the depth given to the motherhood theme is minimal, as are attempts to make the film stand out from a myriad of other, similarly plotted films. Dolly may be shocking in its violence, but its story is far from novel, unfolding with almost uncanny predictability. As evidenced by the underappreciated Blood for Dust a few years ago, Blackhurst is a great director with a keen eye for shot composition and atmosphere – it’s just a shame that the script he’s working from here doesn’t have a bit more weight behind it.
Clearly not lacking in weight though is Dolly’s titular antagonist, played by National Wrestling Alliance non-binary and transmasculine wrestler Max the Impaler. The wrestler, also known as Max Lindsey, makes her feature film debut here with a memorable, physically formidable performance. The tattered dress and child-like mannerisms of Dolly belie the extraordinary strength of Max’s character. In one of their first scenes, the villain is seen effortlessly picking up a grown man by the throat with one hand, a scene that establishes the character as someone whose mental instabilities are matched with a formidable physicality. Her porcelain mask is well-designed and admittedly creepy, but its effect wears off as the film progresses.
What doesn’t wear off, however, is Dolly’s unpredictability. One moment Dolly lovingly cradles Macy, and the next she inflicts unimaginable physical pain upon her captive. Macy (and, in turn, the audience) never know what to expect from Dolly, which makes her more threatening and scary than if her motives and actions could be clearly forecast and explained.
On the other end of Dolly’s wrath is Macy, played by Fabianne Therese. The John Dies at the End actress does excellently playing a character who is, understandably so, initially terrified, but, over time, comes to learn more of what Dolly wants and how to manipulate that to her benefit. The scant runtime means there isn’t quite enough of these more psychologically suspenseful moments as, just when Macy begins to play with Dolly’s twisted psyche, the film speeds toward its climax. Regardless, Therese brilliantly sells the panic and shock with a committed and physical performance.
Featuring in supporting roles, Seann William Scott (American Pie) and Ethan Suplee (My Name is Earl) also impress. Scott, who has developed a reputation for solid comedic turns, is an underrated dramatic performer, sensibilities he draws upon in Dolly. Scott’s Chase plays an unexpected role in the film as what appears initially to be a rather limited role ends up being more substantial. Despite this, Scott still feels underused here, something a meatier script may have subverted. Suplee, another actor known for great comedic roles, embraces a different side of his acting repertoire with a twisted supporting role that, again, comes and goes too quickly.
The climax features some frustrating character decisions often found in slashers and concludes the film in an underwhelming manner. This concept, style, atmosphere, and villain desperately need more time to breathe, but are all brought to a premature end that wraps things up too abruptly. A post-credits scene worth sticking around for hints that (if the filmmakers are fortunate enough to do so) there is more of this story to come, but, as an isolated film, Dolly is a tad too lean.
VERDICT: 5/10
Making its world premiere at this year’s Fantastic Fest, Dolly captures the gritty, grainy style of low-budget horror movies of the past, namely Tobe Hooper’s The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. Director Rod Blackhurst (Blood for Dust, Amanda Knox) crafts a grimy, raw, and aesthetically old-fashioned atmosphere, shooting his film entirely on Super 18mm and with excellent cinematography from Justin Derry. This atmosphere creates an unsettling viewing experience, not dissimilar from Wes Craven’s The Last House on the Left (another movie you feel like you shouldn’t be watching as you’re watching it). Blackhurst matches his disturbing atmosphere with gruesome, grotesque violence brought to life by impressive practical effects, but sees his film’s simplicity become a problem with a story lacking emotional or narrative weight. Weight is not a problem for the formidable, almost superhuman titular villain, portrayed by wrestler Max the Impaler in an excellent, physical performance. Fabianne Therese does well on the other side of Dolly’s wrath with a performance that evolves from panic to something more nuanced as her character comes to realize more about her captor’s psyche. Unfortunately, a story that unfolds predictably and rushes toward its conclusion, rather than letting some of its more interesting elements and performers simmer, sees Dolly come to an underwhelming ending. A post-credits scene hints there may be more to come from this story, but it’ll take something more novel to compel viewers back to this world. At least Tennessee now has another famous Dolly to brag about, albeit one decidedly more disturbing and violent.