The Devil's Dolls (2016) User Reviews

A small step. Very small tho.

[Patient444 · 4/10 · 11 August 2016]

So, this is another indie, small horror project, that took itself serious, and had some good parts to offer. But do bare in mind the budget and the possibilities.

The acting was overall satisfying from my point of view, better than expected for this kind of movie, actors were nicely chosen I'd might say, the dialogue worked OK. The deaths were also good enough, you get your share of blood, violence, pretty much the usual. There is a plot to it, you most likely seen it before but this is a small step up from all the others I've laid my eyes on lately.

You could watch it if you have absolutely nothing better to do. Or if your wifi fails and leaves you stranded with only the movies on your computer. Or netflix. Whatever, wherever. I won't recommend it, but I'm not going to bash it either. It's a 4 star movie at best, perhaps, slightly, less, but I'll round it to 4 thanks to the effort put into it.

Cheers!

Horror about dolls that bring out the worst in people

[Someguysomwhere · 4/10 · 28 June 2016]

A serial killer leaves behind a box of "worry dolls" after he is killed by cops. Basically, you tell your worries to a worry doll and supposedly it takes them into itself thus liberating you. Anyhow (yawn), the dolls (4 or 5, I believe) accidentally get distributed while in transit to police headquarters. Not a good thing for the new owners whose fears and insecurities become amplified to paranoia by the dolls.

The good news: Movie could have been longer. But don't take this to mean it was a terrible movie. It was just a straight-forward, "nothing new or surprising" movie. Once you learn about the dolls in the earlier part of the film, your brain just coasts thru some bloody, but unremarkable deaths until the end where there is a little bit of the unexpected. Before I close, let me say this: A human being on fire is not funny. But I think that if in a movie said human is made to run a considerable distance while aflame....well...you know. I'm only human, folks! Love, Boloxxxi.

Don't Worry About These Dolls

[shawnblackman · 4/10 · 11 November 2016]

A by the numbers horror where a bunch of cursed worry dolls get into the wrong hands making them become possessed and violently kill whoever is around them.

I seen this under the title Worry Dolls and I thought Charles Band would be behind this somehow. Luckily he wasn't but then the film wasn't much better then something he would do. The first few minutes rock in this film with a psycho jamming a four foot drill bit through someone's head with tons of blood flying everywhere. Then the rest of the film lacks in comparison. It was cheese that the dolls were put on strings and then all someone had to do was put it on making them insta rage zombie. Skip this one unless you have a friend in the cast.

Worry of the dolls

[TheLittleSongbird · 4/10 · 17 May 2018]

'Worry Dolls' drew me into seeing it, with a cool and creepy poster, an intriguing idea and as someone with a general appreciation for horror. That it was low-budget, which from frequent personal experience is rarely a good sign due to that there are so many poor ones out there, made me though apprehensive.

Actually found 'Worry Dolls' fairly watchable, if not an easy film to rate or review. Had to think long and hard about what my thoughts were and how to articulate them. 'Worry Dolls' is not great, or good, has a fair share of problems (fairly big ones too) and doesn't do enough with its potential, which was hardly small. There are however some decent, even good, qualities in 'Worry Dolls', at least it wasn't intelligence insulting or inept (unlike some films seen recently) and the potential is not completely squandered.

Lets start with the positives. The scenery is very atmospheric, likewise with the very nice way it's shot. The music is suitably spooky and quirky and doesn't distract at all from the atmosphere, while not exactly enhancing it.

'Worry Dolls' is another example of a film that started off very promisingly. There are some genuinely scary and suspenseful moments and the atmosphere has creepiness.

However, the story does feel over-stretched and some of it feels vague, under-explained. The more 'Worry Dolls' progressed, the duller, more predictable, more senseless and less scary, and too many characters are too sketchy. Making the film feel bland and forgettable with not enough heart put into it.

Acting is never amateurish, there has been far worse acting before and since, but nobody is good let alone note-worthy.

Dialogue can be stilted while the pace is uneven, dragging in some of the second half. Found the supposedly shocking moments not so surprising or scary, due to the excessive obviousness and the lack of tension and suspense, and the end felt not much of a climax.

In summary, not unwatchable but unremarkable. 4/10 Bethany Cox

Not horror really

[mjsreg · 4/10 · 29 July 2017]

I watched this after reading a synopsis and was expecting something much darker than this offering.

Contrary to other reviewers I thought the acting was OK. It was the production that took the edge off the film. There was no atmosphere to speak of and the lighting set up and colourisation could have been applied to any genre of film.

It is not the kind of movie that can draw you into the story and make you believe anything in it - which is the whole point of a horror movie.

It is not a terrible film, just one that I wouldn't bother watching again.

A Disappointment

[gavin6942 · 4/10 · 12 September 2016]

In the aftermath of the hunt for a serial killer, an ancient curse consumes a city, causing a series of brutal murders and pitting a detective against the clock to save his daughter's life.

The film opens in a very gritty, dirty place – even if you know it's just a movie, you feel a little bit repulsed. Soon, we establish the locale… a swampy delta, probably near New Orleans. Even the inhabited buildings look abandoned. This is an ideal place to make a horror film or thriller. But unfortunately, it goes downhill fast after the opening scene.

The highlight after that? The casting of Brea Grant. And as far as films with "worry dolls" go, at least it is better than the one made by Full Moon. But that really is not saying much, as just about every movie out there is better than what Full Moon has to offer.

Generally, IFC Midnight releases excellent films. How they got mixed up in this one is beyond me. But two out of three in recent months is still a good record.

A very bland and generic movie...

[paul_haakonsen · 3/10 · 30 December 2016]

I was initially lured in by the poster/movie cover for "The Devils Dolls" (aka "Worry Dolls"), and I had no idea what the movie was about prior to sitting down to watch it.

But let's just say that I wasn't impressed with what I witnessed here at the hands of director Padraig Reynolds.

The storyline was lacking contents that would make for an interesting story and it just started to gradually become more and more boring, and my interest and focus gradually started to slip away.

The acting in the movie wasn't particularly memorable, and I can honestly say that I can't remember a single character or performing actor in the movie. Yeah, they were just that bland. And the fact that none of the people in the movie weren't famous had nothing to do with this. But the acting talents just didn't put on a memorable performance.

So who is to blame here? The director? The acting talents? The writers? I can only speculate. I do know, however, that this movie was a wide swing and an equally wide miss. There was just nothing worthwhile to be had here in my opinion.

And for a 2016 release, then it was anything but outstanding, and it will quickly fade into oblivion. There are far better horror / thrillers available, both of 2016 release but also of course by older release dates.

"The Devils Dolls" just didn't make any noticeably dent on the screen.

Almost a horror comedy due to the really hilariously poor acting

[seanmcliberal · 3/10 · 15 October 2016]

I was going to give this flick a 4, but then realized I paid $6.99 on Amazon Fire TV to rent this shiz. Maybe that is what somewhat compelled me to take the time to review this movie. **Spoilers Galore*** The acting only becomes funny 3/4 of the film is once you realize how bad it's been the whole time. I encourage you to only watch this film if you are under the influence of substances. The casting was interesting. You have the butch cop side kick and the sorta dad-bod hottie cop dude walk around like they're in X-Files with their badges, guns, and handicaps on their belts everywhere they go.

The male actor tries to go all Gerard Butler the whole time, but nobody is buying it. The killing scenes were not spectacular, which can always be somewhat redeeming for a horror flick with a poor plot and bad acting.

Oh, and I forgot there are some possessed dolls. An angry black Guatemalan women goes completely cultural and talks about how they're worry dolls on steroids. This was unnecessary as it makes the serial killer's past role irrelevant. This movie wrecked a good hour and a half of my life.

I would like not to type any further.

In the end..I have read this movie to filth and written a troll-like review. Please enjoy the following feature.

Stop Drop and Roll

[nogodnomasters · 6/10 · 3 October 2017]

Henry Bale (Matty Ferraro) is an infamous serial killer in Canton, Mississippi. We catch up to Henry as he fails to drill his last victim, taken down by Matt (Christopher Wiehl) a divorced police officer with a daughter. He likes a bracer from time to time. Henry had some worry dolls which he takes as evidence which his daughter thinks is a gift for her as she designs jewelry for a second hand store. The dolls go out through the city creating havoc...and Chloe (Kennedy Brice) keeps one for herself.

The movie had some good scenes, and then there were times I thought I was watching something made for TV. The simple make-up used for a possessed person was very good. I liked the ending...not that stupid last scene barking for a sequel.

Worry Dolls and The Devil's Doll are the same film. Please stop naming every missing girl, "Amber." Guide: F-word. No sex or nudity.

Promising start to a bland and uneventful film

[adamonIMDb · 3/10 · 9 February 2017]

I should have known better than to watch another low-budget indie horror film like this... for every good one there's 10 that aren't worth your time or money, and this is one of them. Whilst I've seen far worse, this was seriously boring, extremely bland and for a horror movie, rather tame.

The first few scenes are promising but ultimately the movie fades into yet another generic, forgettable horror film that has already been done hundreds of times before. The acting isn't great (but that's hardly a surprise) and the plot is weak and lacks conviction - it felt like a half-hearted attempt at coming up with a scary story.

Very few positives and plenty of flaws. 'Worry Dolls' is nothing new and exactly the sort of film you'll forget you even watched within a few days of viewing.

I liked it a lot

[TdSmth5 · 8/10 · 28 May 2017]

A girl is held captive in some abandoned building. She manages to free herself while her captor is somewhere praying while holding some creepy little figurines. When he hears the girl he puts the figures away in a box and cloth bag and goes chasing after her with his drill that has a giant bit reminiscent of The Slumber Party Massacre--one of my favorite movies. As she escapes the building, she runs into a cop who's looking for her. That allows our villain to put to drill to some very good use. But another cop shows up and kills him. Now this is a great intro! While the cops are in the car some scary lady appears demanding the cops give her box with the figurines. Of course it's evidence so they can't give it to her. Yet somehow the box ends up in the hands of the cop's daughter and estranged wife, who has some crafts store. The girl makes some pendants and bracelets with the creepy figurines which for some reason all the customer find so cool and by them all up right away. The girl keeps one of them though.

Sure enough, one guy who gets a figurine pendant from his girlfriend goes nuts after becoming very pale at a convenience store and kills the worker there and is shot by the owner afterwards. Not only that, but he leaves a bloody sign painted in blood. This intrigues the cops because it's the sign that the serial killer from the intro used.

Next, the cop's daughter goes pale and nuts and kills the beautiful family Rottweiler. She's then quickly taken to the hospital where the problem is initially attributed to her epilepsy.

Then a family friend gives another figurine pendant to her husband who goes bonkers, kills the gardener and then attacks the wife just as the cop arrives. When the cop finds the figurine he decides to visit the crazy woman from before who wanted the box. Turns out she adopted the abandoned serial killer when he was a child. The figurines, or worry dolls or more accurately translated, sorrow dolls, come from Guatemalan lore and are designed to remove someone's sorrows and pains. Her grandparents were from Guatemala. But in the case of the serial killer since he was innocent and yet consumed with hate, the sorrow dolls ended up transmitting the hate. The solution is for the cop and his sidekick to collect all the dolls with the box and deliver them to her by dawn. He succeeds but there's a twist.

Devil's Dolls won me over with the brutal intro. Unfortunately, it doesn't keep up the intensity probably for budgetary reasons. We could have used at least one more doll/killer/victim. For some reason it doesn't focus enough, literally, on the dolls. They are small and creepy but the camera doesn't zoom in at any point, and for some reason no one looks at them carefully, even though they are unusual and striking. The wonderful intro credit scene featuring sights of Mississippi plus the dolls themselves which have some wooden structure reminded me of the first season of True Detective. I found the script smarter than usual. It handles for instance the relationship between the cop, his (ex)wife, and her new guy very well. The background of the dolls is also interesting. Casting is strong, most of the ladies are attractive. Christopher Wiehl who multitasked as producer and writer as well, occasionally delivers an unconvincing performance as the detective.

I found that this movie delivers more than most horror movies these days. And it's the stuff that I like--strong kills, a novel deeper story, it features a Rottweiler who can't escape the usual dog fate in movies. One nice touch is that the filmmakers thank the audience at the end for watching the movie, something I wonder why not more do. I highly recommend Devil's Dolls, it's better than the score here would lead you to believe.

My Review Of "Worry Dolls"

[ASouthernHorrorFan · 6/10 · 23 October 2015]

Padraig Reynolds keeps with the same visual and directing style that played out in rural community horror fashion in "Rites Of Spring". That whole small town lives with their super evil occult issues. "Worry Dolls" doesn't quite give as exciting and well developed story the way his debut feature gives, but it keeps with a familiar creepy cult, black magic motif. Except in this story the occult, supernatural is more developed and defined. With "Rites Of Spring" it was a more subtle hint to the Sowing Season with more pagan inspiration.

"Worry Dolls" is a wicked, and paranormal curse nightmare that gives good deadpan mixed with American Gothic flare. Unfortunately the suspense and energy is very low when it comes to getting the story off the ground. The emotion and atmosphere are their but the direction and character drama just never gets up there to meet this great, and chillingly good slice of occult horror. The cast give good performances, but compared to "Rites Of Spring", "Worry Dolls" feels more Charles Band than Ti West, not that that is a bad thing, just saying compared to films similar to "Worry Dolls" like "House Of The Devil" and "Nothing To Fear".

Now the special effects are beasts of another Hell! The blood splatter, and brutality was great, visceral slices of awesome. The opening scene honestly, I felt like I needed to go check to make sure no blood splashed on me. Great scene. I enjoyed all the horror scenes with the blunt, brutal deaths. Blood, blood, blood, every kill was crimson. The sound effects, and the musical score weren't as memorable as the special effects, but they do their job to keep the pace and attitude of "Worry Dolls" dark, and sinister. And the creature effects, although more like Haunted Attraction level artistry, created some freaky, evil faces.

Overall, "Worry Dolls" is a bit disappointing, especially when comparing it to Reynolds' first film, but does have some cool stuff happening throughout the film. You will find yourself wondering on to other things during the long character building scenes. Still just when you feel you drifted too far a brutal, blood staining event takes place and snaps you back into the depth of the horror in "Worry Dolls:" Definitely check this one out if you are keen to Padraig Reynolds style, I liked enough about the film based on concept and kills to wanna add it to my collection. But take note that the horror vibe doesn't really have full strength through the whole film, like the thrills, it comes and goes.

If you have nothing to do then watch this.

[drk-96503 · 4 August 2016]

Single point and one line story. Universal phenomenon.. Very common point.. Not well written Not well executed. Not creepy. No jumps.. No Gore.. No horror. Story just goes on like that. Its like Tom and Jerry.. You know tom hates Jerry and Jerry hates tom..its similar kind of movie.You can understand from the scene one what happens next. nothing unpredictable.. Every scene will be our cup of tea. If really have nothing to do then only watch this movie or even better if you ignore this..I hate simple kind of Horror flicks. One can search and can watch movies like Dabbie. Exorcist.. Horror means honestly must be true horror.. not just like a makeup kind of movies..Don't need to lipstick for creating Gore on screen.

Spoilers follow ...

[parry_na · 4/10 · 1 December 2016]

Opening with a promisingly bloody scenario of serial killer Henry murmuring his unstable anxieties into his slight collection of 'worry dolls', this film soon evaporates into comparative blandness. That's the problem with strong beginnings – the rest has then got to match up.

Detective Matt who finally rids the world of Henry for some reason takes the 'worry dolls' with him in the back of his car. Why do something so unprofessional? So his young daughter Chloe can then inadvertently get hold of them, of course.

'OMG, they're so coowaal', say the brightly smiling young things browsing 'Chloe's Collection' where she exhibits these and other home-made charms. Sadly, the spirit of Henry, instilled into these novelty items, causes whomever owns them to lose their minds and kill their loved ones.

Chloe, who is afraid of dogs, stabs to death her family's Doberman (why does the family keep such a pet if the daughter is afraid of them?). She then, Exorcist-like, descends into a blank-eyed trance. Hunky Detective Matt seeks the help of occultist Della who says that as the pure innocent, Chloe needs to be relieved of the dolls – even though they are no longer in her possession. Della is played by Tina Lifford, who invests the part with such weird intensity, she may well be the most interesting character in the film. A shame that her inclusion is such a brief one.

The rest of the cast, sad to say, including Christopher Wiehl as Matt (who co-wrote this) are not very interesting at all. It's impossible to sympathise with the Detective, whose daughter is, after all, possessed, because there is scant personality there. Likewise other characters, including those who pick up the various dolls and are therefore doomed fail to ignite much feelings of loss. Also, the suburban blandness of most of the locations stifles any atmosphere. A competent thriller with a few gallons of blood thrown in for good measure.

Not bad

[Dave_douell · 6/10 · 7 February 2019]

Pretty good movie over all. Different from most of the horror movies out there. Only one thing really irritated me was that the sorry cop let's two women get killed right in front of him! Otherwise not bad. Great Mississippi scenery if you like the south.

I'll make this short and sweet

[deelolazjourney · 8/10 · 27 August 2017]

I thoroughly enjoyed this movie.

It kept me on the edge of my seat until the very end.

It left room for a sequel.

Not sure why this movie was rated an overall 4.9.

You'll not be wasting your time, watching this one.

This is a surprise solid addition to the horror genre

[kevin_robbins · 7/10 · 21 November 2022]

The Devil's Dolls (2016) is a movie that I recently found on Tubi. The storyline follows a detective assigned to investigate a recent murder caught on a security cam. The killer acts very strange on tape before doing the deed. When more security footage is brought to the detective of other people behaving similar to the killer he's trying to find, the detective realizes he may have a much bigger issue on his hands.

This movie is directed by Padraig Reynolds (A Walk in the Park) and stars Christopher Wiehl (Playmakers), Kym Jackson (Fatal Affair), Tina Lifford (Blood Work) and Samantha Smith (Transformers).

This movie was way better than I anticipated. The horror elements and special effects are outstanding. The drill opening scene was a perfect way to get the movie going. There's a tremendous use of a screw driver also and good blood splatter throughout the picture. The acting and dialogue is okay but the horror elements really keep your attention. The ending was alright too.

Overall, this is a surprise solid addition to the horror genre that's worth a watch. I would score this a 6.5-7/10 and recommend watching it once.

A horror movie that means bloody business

[Woodyanders · 8/10 · 16 December 2020]

A serial killer unleashes a wave of savage violence in a small Southern town by passing his evil essence into several voodoo dolls. Detective Matt (a solid performance by Christopher Wiehl) must race against time to save his daughter Chloe (adorable Kennedy Brice) from becoming a victim of said violence.

Director Padraig Reynolds keeps the enjoyably twisted story moving along at a snappy pace, adroitly crafts a creepy gloom-doom mood, maintains a tough'n'gritty take-no-prisoners tone throughout, offers a flavorsome evocation of the deep south setting, and delivers oodles of in-your-face graphic gore. The sound acting by the able cast helps a lot: Kym Jackson as Matt's hard-nosed partner Darcy, Samantha Smith as estranged wife Amy, Tina Lifford as voodoo lady Della, Brea Grant as the perky Becca, Yohance Myles as the frustrated Ethan, and Ashlynn Ross as the frightened Amber. A gory good time.