I have had the misfortune to sit through the first two Playing with Dolls movies, in fact I own them on DVD. The first was passable as a gory but poor movie, the second is an absolute abomination. Havoc is an improvement over that but that is hardly a compliment. "The World's most brutal killer" - a cross between slasher faves Jason and Leatherface - is back, creeping around a plush woodland cabin in the snow.
The first scene has a guy get hit in the head by a rubber rock, that kind of sets the tone. On the plus side there were a few jump scenes when the maniac strikes, plus there is a lot of graphic gore. Some of the effects combine practical and CGI, they are not great but I have seen far worse. The acting is poor at best, at times abysmal, as is some of the script. Night scenes were filmed in the day. At 78 minutes it felt longer. Totally unremarkable slasher movie but passable as a gore fix. Just!
8 Reviews
For all future film makers
dimitrimelnikoff10 January 2021
This right here is the perfect example of what not to do when you make a film. The directing is horrible, the actors look like they were pulled off the street with a "wanna make quick money in a movie?" The women in this movie are there for one reason, to show their boobs so that teen dudes will watch this movie so it can get views. The dudes are there literally just to even the playing field so that the killer kills men and women. If you want to ruin your night, watch this film.
Ignore all these fake reviews, this is a very very bad movie
milesd-9052910 October 2018
Warning: Spoilers
This is without a doubt the worst movie I have ever seen, I just laughed at the ridiculous acting, the music done on a cheap Casio keyboard, the blood effects made me laugh the most. The best bit of this movie is the blonde bimbo with the fake assets at the beginning when she takes her t shirt off exposing them and she must have been very cold. The rest of the movie is just plain awful. Please please please, save your time and don't watch it, there is nothing remotely horror based in this movie, not even a single jump scare, nothing will scare you in fact you'll probably just laugh like I did, DO NOT WATCH THIS MOVIE, IT'S A JOKE.
Awful. Abysmal. Terrible.
msfacebook-1891720 October 2018
Where do I start? There is so much wrong with this movie. Lack of atmosphere, awful acting, weak soundtrack to start with. It runs for 76 minutes so that should indicate how bad this movie will be. Intro with blonde bimbo with fake breasts was cringeworthy. The only good thing about this is the killer, Havoc, who looks fantastic. I'm struggling to even finish this movie. I'm tempted to paint a wall so I can watch it dry - it'd be more interesting than this movie.
Rene Perez is the new Look in Horror. A bold horror Masterpiece!
shagee797712 May 2018
Warning: Spoilers
"Playing with Dolls: Havoc"
Director/ Writer Rene Perez Third installment of the Playing With Dolls series is superior to its previous movies.
He glides through this chapter with such ease and love if the genre, you ask why is he not shooting the next Friday the 13th.
If your a lover of genuine Slasher flicks, filled with pretty girls, great gore and true shock, you hit the jackpot!
It starts off with Havoc back again In his asylum hunting a beautiful victim in some underground cavern. Stormi Maya is tricked into a sick game of collecting money for every level she completes in this underground maze. She is coached by bloody notes and given large sums of money. Being observed by camera (Richard Tyson) the whole time.This is a new scream Queen, I hope to see more of. Not only is she A very pretty women, but she is a great actress!
Things get going when Havoc escapes his prison and is loose in the desolate snow covered woods.
What is supposed to be an innocent rendezvous with her boyfriend. Jade Ellis after breaking down and finally reaching the cabin of her lover is met by his wife (Nicole Stark) and Maid (Malorie Galvan).
This sets up a very uncomfortable situation and has conflict and creates more than the one situation to take care of. Nicole Stark as the suffering wife is fun to watch. Her deliveries and calmness of the situation almost scares you. What's brewing in this pretty ladies head.
When the cheating husband (Kyle Clarke) enters his explanation is mind blowing and almost convinced me of what he was saying. But little do they know indefinitely is the least of there problems.
There thrown in a life or death situation and have to survive in the desolate cabin with each other.
Rene Perez creates such a great entry with this movie, it makes me wonder what's next for our title character! Obviously a lover of the 80's Slasher flicks, he obviously plays homage but creates a new serial killer that could take on the others with ease. Havoc is Big brutal and silent. His kills are so vicious and gory you won't be disappointed. Amazing splatter Fx is created by Marcus Koch! The backdrop of this movie is breathtaking and a dream come true for a filmmaker looking for a beautiful yet deadly setting. The snow scenes are fun and add to the girl being pursued in the woods to a new level. This is a low budget movie, but every dollar was spent wisely and looks like a lot more was spent. Technically this movie is amazing. Everything is professionally done from the sound to the picture. Night scenes are clear and nothing is missed!
Director Rene Perez is A brilliant and talented person and I can't wait to see what's next....and hopefully another chapter of Playing with Dolls!
Playing with Dolls: Havoc starring: Richard Tyson also stars Nicole Stark, Jade Ellis, Kyle Clarke, Stormi Maya and John Scuderi.
Rene Perez creates such a great entry with this movie, it makes me wonder what's next for our title character! Obviously a lover of the 80's Slasher flicks, he obviously plays homage but creates a new serial killer that could take on the others with ease. Havoc is Big brutal and silent. His kills are so vicious and gory you won't be disappointed. Amazing splatter Fx is created by Marcus Koch! The backdrop of this movie is breathtaking and a dream come true for a filmmaker looking for a beautiful yet deadly setting. The snow scenes are fun and add to the girl being pursued in the woods to a new level. This is a low budget movie, but every dollar was spent wisely and looks like a lot more was spent. Technically this movie is amazing. Everything is professionally done from the sound to the picture. Night scenes are clear and nothing is missed!
Director Rene Perez is A brilliant and talented person and I can't wait to see what's next....and hopefully another chapter of Playing with Dolls!
Playing with Dolls: Havoc starring: Richard Tyson also stars Nicole Stark, Jade Ellis, Kyle Clarke, Stormi Maya and John Scuderi.
Playing with Dolls Havoc: A remarkable improvement
Platypuschow6 December 2017
Playing With Dolls (2015) and Playing With Dolls: Bloodlust (2016) were really poor slashers with an interesting premise and amazing looking killer. The latter didn't even have an ending, it just rolled the credits mid fight scene.
Understandably I expected more of the same with this third (And likely final) offering.
Our killer Havoc returns, breaks free from the "Master" and sets about picking up where he left off going after a bunch of innocents in a secluded cabin.
I get the impression that the creators had a bigger budget to play with, either that or they'd gone to film school and mastered the art.
Havoc is a surprisingly good slasher flick and one I'd actually recommend to fans of the genre. I would perhaps suggest they skip straight to it and dismiss the first two.
Richard Tyson does not return which I found strange, maybe the budget was higher because they didn't need to pay for his star power? Either way I was impressed. Great kills, looks solid and the execution is impressive. I'd like to see the franchise continue if they maintain this quality.
The Good:
Killer still looks awesome
Story is vastly improved
Kills are great, much better than before
Nicole Stark is a decent lead
The Bad:
Quite misandric
Things I Learnt From This Movie:
A chainsaw to the balls looks fairly uncomfortable
Understandably I expected more of the same with this third (And likely final) offering.
Our killer Havoc returns, breaks free from the "Master" and sets about picking up where he left off going after a bunch of innocents in a secluded cabin.
I get the impression that the creators had a bigger budget to play with, either that or they'd gone to film school and mastered the art.
Havoc is a surprisingly good slasher flick and one I'd actually recommend to fans of the genre. I would perhaps suggest they skip straight to it and dismiss the first two.
Richard Tyson does not return which I found strange, maybe the budget was higher because they didn't need to pay for his star power? Either way I was impressed. Great kills, looks solid and the execution is impressive. I'd like to see the franchise continue if they maintain this quality.
The Good:
Killer still looks awesome
Story is vastly improved
Kills are great, much better than before
Nicole Stark is a decent lead
The Bad:
Quite misandric
Things I Learnt From This Movie:
A chainsaw to the balls looks fairly uncomfortable
I am only going to say this once
nogodnomasters7 August 2017
Warning: Spoilers
This is a continuation of the series where crazed killer Havoc is filmed by a rich man as he dismembers people, especially young women. In this episode Havoc escapes the cave set up a game killing (I was hoping the film would take place here) and wanders into the snowy hills of California (?) a familiar outdoor scene for Rene Perez film aficionados. Here he finds the proverbial cabin in the woods with drama inside.
On the plus side the gore scenes, including spine removal were done great. He didn't turn the camera away as in low budget films. I liked the drums in the sound track on the house hunt scene, but not too keen on the sound track during the gore scenes. I was hoping for something more classical as in 'Wrong Turn 4" which BTW was snowy also. Another plus are the pretty women who are not camera shy, but on the negative side, they were not convincing. The dialogue was seriously bad. The scene between Tim (Kyle Clarke) and Sara (Nicole Stark) was the low point of the film. It was a horror show as far as dialogue and acting. I am not sure who names a character with a wife and mistress after Tim Curry who is believed to be gay. Is this like the Neil Patrick Harris thing as in "Harold and Kumar..."? If so it was genius but only if Rene continues on with it. And the ending was...seriously? Guide: Don't recall any swearing. No sex. Nudity (Nicole Stark, Stormi Maya Alvarado)
On the plus side the gore scenes, including spine removal were done great. He didn't turn the camera away as in low budget films. I liked the drums in the sound track on the house hunt scene, but not too keen on the sound track during the gore scenes. I was hoping for something more classical as in 'Wrong Turn 4" which BTW was snowy also. Another plus are the pretty women who are not camera shy, but on the negative side, they were not convincing. The dialogue was seriously bad. The scene between Tim (Kyle Clarke) and Sara (Nicole Stark) was the low point of the film. It was a horror show as far as dialogue and acting. I am not sure who names a character with a wife and mistress after Tim Curry who is believed to be gay. Is this like the Neil Patrick Harris thing as in "Harold and Kumar..."? If so it was genius but only if Rene continues on with it. And the ending was...seriously? Guide: Don't recall any swearing. No sex. Nudity (Nicole Stark, Stormi Maya Alvarado)
Fun and highly enjoyable effort in the series
kannibalcorpsegrinder21 January 2018
Warning: Spoilers
Becoming lost in the wilderness, a stranded woman finds shelter at a remote mountain lodge where a group preparing for the owners' arrival take her in, only to find themselves beset by a ravenous, psychotic serial killer who escaped from a local voyeur and try to get out of the situation alive.
This here proved to be quite the enjoyable and exciting slasher. Much like the other entries where it improves with each effort, this one offers a strong improvement over the previous entries. Most of that is the fact that this one decides to improve the atmosphere of the settings that really ramps up the suspense featured in the scenes. The opening ambush in the underground mines is a fantastic, chilling opening with the killer not only stalking the performer in the game but the team trying to keep him in line as he escapes in a daring fashion setting up the rest of the film. This sets up the tone rather nicely by moving onto the main action of the film with the attacks on the cabin, including the ambush in the garage where he picks on the helper attempting to prepare a vehicle to leave, the first few surprise attacks in the cabin where he appears in some quite frantic and chilling scenes while the main battle in the house where the two survivors engage in some fine stalking and battling throughout the house. The finale outdoors in the snow is just as enjoyable with the continuous cat-and-mouse games and escape attempts that take place here which has a really strong driving energy to the whole affair and has some nice action to go along with the blood and gore during the kills. Given the fine house featured for the majority of the film alongside the snowy wilderness and the continuation of the fun generated by the killer, there's quite a lot to like here that holds it up over the few minor flaws featured here. What really seems to undo this one is its lack of overall clarity with what's going on. Hardly anything is explained at all here, from what the purpose of the killer's official reasoning for the rampage in the catacombs, why the decision to remove the original employer at the computer monitors from the occasion and why the whole group is coming up to the cabin in the first place. This is a common problem in the series where it never explains anything and the trend continues here with this one not only leaving these questions unanswered but leaving so many elements changed around from the other entries is a bit of an issue. As well, the moments where it's obvious the low budget comes shining through are what holds this one back, but it's not enough to completely through this one out.
Rated Unrated/R: Extreme Graphic Violence, Graphic Language and Nudity.
This here proved to be quite the enjoyable and exciting slasher. Much like the other entries where it improves with each effort, this one offers a strong improvement over the previous entries. Most of that is the fact that this one decides to improve the atmosphere of the settings that really ramps up the suspense featured in the scenes. The opening ambush in the underground mines is a fantastic, chilling opening with the killer not only stalking the performer in the game but the team trying to keep him in line as he escapes in a daring fashion setting up the rest of the film. This sets up the tone rather nicely by moving onto the main action of the film with the attacks on the cabin, including the ambush in the garage where he picks on the helper attempting to prepare a vehicle to leave, the first few surprise attacks in the cabin where he appears in some quite frantic and chilling scenes while the main battle in the house where the two survivors engage in some fine stalking and battling throughout the house. The finale outdoors in the snow is just as enjoyable with the continuous cat-and-mouse games and escape attempts that take place here which has a really strong driving energy to the whole affair and has some nice action to go along with the blood and gore during the kills. Given the fine house featured for the majority of the film alongside the snowy wilderness and the continuation of the fun generated by the killer, there's quite a lot to like here that holds it up over the few minor flaws featured here. What really seems to undo this one is its lack of overall clarity with what's going on. Hardly anything is explained at all here, from what the purpose of the killer's official reasoning for the rampage in the catacombs, why the decision to remove the original employer at the computer monitors from the occasion and why the whole group is coming up to the cabin in the first place. This is a common problem in the series where it never explains anything and the trend continues here with this one not only leaving these questions unanswered but leaving so many elements changed around from the other entries is a bit of an issue. As well, the moments where it's obvious the low budget comes shining through are what holds this one back, but it's not enough to completely through this one out.
Rated Unrated/R: Extreme Graphic Violence, Graphic Language and Nudity.
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
