Dolls Are Meant to Be Trash

Director - Jack Mulvanerty (Everything Decays, Split)

Starring - Emily E (Mutilation Theatre, Symphony of Suffering) and Jack Mulvanerty

Release Date - 2023

Genre - Horror

Format - Streaming (Online Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     Horror is such a vast genre. It truly is unique when you consider all the various sub-genres, trends, and styles that make up the entire horror community. While I respect all things horror, I know not all horror movies sent my way will be home runs. In fact, there is a good chance that a great deal of them are films that I won't enjoy but I'm always grateful when a director reaches out to me to review their work. Recently, filmmaker Jack Mulvanerty hit me up to review several of his newer films. I recently watched Everything Decays and Scarlet Piss Princess. I decided to keep the Mulvanerty marathon going with his 2023 film Dolls are Meant to be Trash. I want to once again say thanks to Jack for sending this over. 

      The film follows a young woman, played by Emily E, who spends her time cutting herself, piercing herself with needles, and other forms of self-mutilation. 

      I knew what I was getting into after watching Everything Decays and Scarlet Piss Princess, but I wasn't expecting it to be as repetitive as it was. I'm not much on the cutting, piercing, and so on in film but I can see why some genre fans enjoy it. These things do have their own fans in the fetish horror community but for someone that enjoys a story in their film, I was underwhelmed. The acting in this one is exactly what you would expect. The cast shows some serious dedication with the extreme acts they commit but there is no acting in a traditional sense. The story for this one is basically "watch an attractive woman mutilate her body and other sexual acts." It's beautifully shot but for someone, like myself, wanting to dig into a horror film with a story, it is a bit of a disappointment. Finally, the film has some blood and other bodily fluids but it's not something gorehounds and old school effects fans would be looking for. Overall, Dolls Are Meant to Be Trash is a film for a select group of movie fans and I'm not one of them. The film looks good and I found myself drawn in by the heinous acts committed in front of the camera but this is one I will not be revisiting