‘Dolly’ Fantastic Fest 2025 Review

Sometimes, you just want a movie full of blood. I’m talking minimal plot, lots of kills, but a deeply satisfying ending. It’s a hard balance to strike, but co-writer/director Rod Blackhurst does just that in his gnarly new film, Dolly, which just had its world premiere at Fantastic Fest 2025. A simple premise, stellar effects, and strong performances all help this nasty little story feel like a piece of New French Extremity horror made right here in the U.S.A.

Dolly tells the story of Macy (Fabianne Therese) and her boyfriend Chase (Sean William Scott), who are setting off on a long hike where Chase plans to propose. But their romantic hike is cut short when they happen across a bizarre doll graveyard of sorts, reminiscent of the Island of the Dolls in Mexico. While the baby dolls nailed to trees certainly are creepy, even creepier is the person lurking in the trees, wearing a porcelain mask and burying a headless corpse. Here, we meet our villain: Dolly (Max the Impaler), a troubled, child-like person living deep in the woods, looking for someone to take care of.

Luckily, she finds Macy. After a quick, bloody scuffle, Macy is carried back to Dolly’s secluded, rotting home, stuffed into a cradle, and dressed all in white. Thus begins a bloody nightmare that feels akin to the iconic Texas Chain Saw Massacre, but more femme-coded. It’s a film interested in depicting a very literal monstrous motherhood, complete with forced feedings and diaper changes. Thanks to a smart, economical script by Blackhurst and Brandon Weavil, Dolly is never heavy-handed in its deeper messages about trauma. These writers understand what the film is ultimately meant to deliver: gnarly violence that feels like something out of the 1970s era of exploitation cinema. 

Also Read: ‘The Mannequin’ Review: A Shocking Supernatural Slasher [Popcorn Frights 2025]

Blackhurst and Weavil opt to split the film into chapters, which is incredibly effective here, especially in making Dolly feel like a demented fairytale. Oftentimes, chapters can draw things out or interrupt narrative flow, but they’re smartly used here so that they’re never too disruptive. In fact, it makes the film feel surprisingly whimsical.

Then, there are the two central performances from Therese as Macy and professional wrestler Max the Impaler as Dolly. Both are powerhouses that are put through the physical and emotional wringer as Macy tries to battle her way out of these terrifying four walls, all while being forced to suck dirty pacifiers and cuddle up with her captor. 

You can see traces of Leatherface in Max the Impaler’s performance, but they still do enough to make this masked villain their own. And wow, is it refreshing to see a more femme-coded masked villain who isn’t ridiculed for their size. It sounds simple, but for viewers like me, it just feels good to see a little more body diversity, even in the deranged villains that rampage across our screens. 

With Dolly, Blackhurst takes the foundation laid by Zach Cregger’s Barbarian and takes it to another deranged level in a way that can only be accomplished in the realm of indie horror. You’ll gasp, you’ll laugh, you’ll scream in disgusted delight at every nasty revelation in Dolly. 

Tags: Fantastic Fest 2025

Categorized: Reviews