Dolly Deadly

Director - Heid Moore (Mommy, Soul Doubt)

Starring - Justin Moore (Dolly Deadly 1.5, Kill Dolly Kill), Kimberly West-Carroll, and Jay Sosnicki (Elliot, Hi-Death)

Release Date - 2016

Genre - Horror

Tagline - "All dolled up and ready to kill"

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection)

Rating (out of 5):

     I've been a fan of Troma for sometime now.  Ever since I first found the tapes in high school I was hooked.  Writing for Horror Society has it's own perks.  Getting to hear about new and upcoming horror movies prior to their release is a big one.  Sometime back I received the press release from Troma announcing that they had acquired the indie horror film Dolly Deadly for their streaming platform Troma Now.  Sometime has passed and I saw that the film was getting a blu release.  I had yet to see it so I went ahead and snagged a copy to check out when I had the time.  After watching Reunion from Hell I decided it was the perfect time to give it a spin.

     The film follows Benji who lives with his grandmother and her deadbeat boyfriend in the trailer park.  He lost his mother when he was a baby and now only has dolls and stuffed animals of hers to remember her by.  Because of his attachment to these he is often ridiculed and mocked by his family and friends.  He finally reaches his boiling point and things turn deadly.  

     Dolly Deadly is not what I was expecting at all but I fucking loved it.  The film would be the second movie in my unintentional LGBTQ double feature after spinning Reunion from Hell.  It was extremely well written and fun with that Troma trash/punk aesthetic.  I really enjoyed it and I think if you were open minded you would as well.  The acting in this one is phenomenal.  The supporting cast brings to life a wide array of characters that are not only memorable but very fun to watch.  Even if you are meant to hate the character you still find yourself enjoying their performance and almost picking out common traits you share with them.  With that being said. Justin Moore is the star of the show.  He doesn't let his age or lack of experience stop him from shinning.  His portrayal of Benji brings out a lot of emotions in the viewer.  As someone who grew up in a broken home I really felt his performance.  He really struck a chord with me.  I can't wait to see him appear in other genre titles as he gets older.  The story for this one is one we've seen before but with a little LGBTQ flair.  We've seen so many horror and exploitation films following a kid/teen/pre-teen who is bullied and neglected living in a trailer park before turning to bloodshed.  Hell, just a few months ago I reviewed Gun Crazy which follows a couple from a trailer park that goes on a mass shooting.  What sets this one apart from the others is the added trash cinema flair with the young killer donning a dress while killing.  It's hard not to say this is a horror film from the mind of a John Water's fan but fans of both will see the similarities.  Finally, the film has some extremely bloody and violent deaths with some solid practical effects.  We get a little gore but nothing that will really stand out.  Overall, Dolly Deadly is not your typical horror film.  It has an emotional range that most indie films are unable to produce while delivering the standard horror chills.  I highly recommend this one.