Nightmarish Teaser Trailer Unleashes Monstrous Horror in DOLLY
Blue Finch Films has released the first teaser trailer for Dolly, a terrifying new folk-horror film from director Rod Blackhurst, and it’s the kind of nightmare fuel that’s going to stick with you.
The movie is set to play at both Fantastic Fest and the Sitges Film Festival this fall, giving horror fans their first taste of what promises to be one of the most disturbing genre entries of the year.
The story follows Macy, a young woman who becomes the target of a hulking, childlike monster dressed in rags and wearing a porcelain doll mask. After being abducted, Macy is forced into a twisted nightmare where her captor wants to raise her as their child.
Described as a daring mix of New French Extremity and 1970s American horror, Dolly stars Fabianne Therese, Seann William Scott, Ethan Suplee, Kate Cobb, and pro wrestler Max the Impaler.
Fantastic Fest describes the film: "Chase and Macy drop off Chase's daughter, Evy, and then hike to a nearby overlook where he plans to propose. Those plans are soon forgotten when they discover a weird 'art installation' of many dirty, broken dolls.
“Unfortunately the dolls are actually more of an altar to the victims of Dolly—a violent, hulking, child-like person in a tattered dress and a porcelain doll mask—who arrives to bury the decapitated corpse of their latest plaything.
“While they have little interest in Chase outside of violence, Macy catches their eye and is taken home to become their newest doll. With the help of a voice in the walls, Macy quickly realizes she must navigate her captor’s delusions and family trauma to have any hope of surviving the nightmare and the filthy house she finds herself in.
“Of course that means playing her role of a doll—including diaper changes and feedings—until she can find the right moment to make her move."
Adding to the hype, Fantastic Fest also teased what makes the movie so uniquely grotesque: "Nothing is ever quite as it seems, except of course for the absolutely goopy practical effects in this lo-fi throwback to the isolated murder families of The Hills Have Eyes and the original Texas Chain Saw Massacre.
“Director Rod Blackhurst combines his clear inspiration with a uniquely demented point of view, building on his previous work."
That description alone makes it sound like a delirious blend of old-school grindhouse and surreal nightmare. And judging by the footage, Dolly leans hard into its grotesque visuals and practical effects, giving it an unsettling vibe.
Blackhurst, who previously directed Here Alone, Amanda Knox, Blood for Dust, and The Tennessee 11, co-wrote the screenplay with Brandon Weavil. The film is produced by Joseph C. Grano, Noah Lang, Bryce McGuire, Ross O'Connor, Esteban Sanchez, Isaiah Smallman, Betty Tong, and Blackhurst himself.
Dolly will have its world premiere later this month at Fantastic Fest 2025 in Austin, Texas, before heading to Sitges. No wider release dates have been announced yet.