Dolly blends inspiration from gritty 1970s American horror like The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and The Hills Have Eyes with the New French Extremity movement that yielded such works as High Tension, Martyrs, and Inside.
Shot on Super 16mm film, the twisted folk horror tale premieres at Fantastic Fest in Austin, TX, on September 21 before heading to the Sitges Film Festival in Spain next month. Watch the teaser below.
A young woman, Macy, fights for survival after being abducted by a deranged, monster-like figure who wants to raise Macy as their child.
Rod Blackhurst (“Amanda Knox,” Night Swim) directs from a script he co-wrote with Brandon Weavil, based on their 2022 short Babygirl.
Fabianne Therese (John Dies at the End), Seann William Scott (American Pie), Ethan Suplee (Mallrats), and pro wrestler Max the Impaler star.
“Dolly is an elegant and twisted fairy tale born out of a deep love of gritty genre films and wanting to see something bonkers that a 13-year-old me would pine to rent (somehow) from the local video store (that was also the jewelry and appliance repair store) in rural upstate New York,” said Blackhurst.
“I knew this film needed to have a strange, deranged beating heart not just for our protagonist, Macy, but the titular Dolly, who I hope is a shockingly complex and ultimately oddly sympathetic figure – and a character who will bring much madness to audiences for years to come,” Blackhurst continues.
“Because as outsiders, this film is a renewed investment in our ethos as filmmakers, our proud tribe of misfits, and our families, especially our children, who I hope never meet a life sized, blood-soaked doll in the woods.”
Blackhurst has franchise aspirations for the film, with a prequel exploring Dolly’s origins and mythology already written and slated for production.
