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The Science Fiction Horror and Fantasy Film Review

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Theme: Dolls and Puppets

Dolls and Puppets that appear in fantastic cinema are usually ones that have been imbued with life in some way. The most famous of these was the puppet boy Pinocchio who has appeared in multiple film adaptations.

Some stories about puppets rest within fantasy but most are horror films about dolls and puppets that have gained malevolent life. Indeed, some of these have gained such popularity that they have become ongoing series as with the Child’s Play/Chucky and the Annabelle films. Charles Band’s Full Moon Productions seems to specialise in creating numerous low-budget films about dolls and puppets, in particular the ongoing Puppetmaster films.

There is also a reasonable body of films about ventriloquist’s dummies that come to life and possess their human owners.


9 (2009)

2 November 200910 December 2023

Rating: ★★★★

Animation/Post-Holocaust Dolls vs Evil Machines

Director: Shane Acker
Actors: Elijah Wood, Jennifer Connelly, Christopher Plummer, John C. Reilly, …
Category: Science Fiction

The Adventures of Pinocchio (1996)

1 November 20003 July 2022

Rating: ★★½

Living Puppet Boy

Director: Steve Barron
Actors: Martin Landau, Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Udo Kier, David Doyle, …
Category: Fantasy

Annabelle (2014)

17 October 20148 March 2023

Rating: ★

Sinister Doll

Director: John R. Leonetti
Actors: Annabelle Wallis, Ward Horton, Tony Amendola, Alfre Woodard, …
Category: Horror

Annabelle Comes Home (2019)

27 September 201910 June 2025

Rating: ★★½

Sinister Doll

Director: Gary Dauberman
Actors: McKenna Grace, Madison Iseman, Katie Sarife, Vera Farmiga, …
Category: Horror

Annabelle: Creation (2017)

24 September 201710 June 2025

Rating: ★★½

Sinister Doll

Director: David F. Sandberg
Actors: Talitha Bateman, Lulu Wilson, Stephanie Sigman, Anthony LaPaglia, …
Category: Horror

Annette (2021)

11 September 202120 February 2025

Rating: ★★★★

Surrealist Musical

Director: Leos Carax
Actors: Adam Driver, Marion Cotillard, Simon Helberg, Devyn McDowell
Category: Fantasy

Attack of the Beast Creatures (1985)

9 October 201823 April 2020

Rating: 0­

Island of Malevolent Doll Creatures

Director: Michael Stanley
Category: Horror

Barbarella (1968)

26 March 200013 October 2021

Rating: ★★★★

Softcore Space Opera

Director: Roger Vadim
Actors: Jane Fonda, John Phillip Law, David Hemmings, Milo O'Shea, …
Category: Science Fiction

Barbie (2023)

23 September 202313 April 2024

Rating: ★★

Doll Enters the Real World

Director: Greta Gerwig
Actors: Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, America Ferrera, Kate McKinnon, …
Category: Fantasy

Black Devil Doll from Hell (1984)

10 March 201417 May 2021

Rating: 0­

Evil Doll/Bad Movie Classic

Director: Chester N. Turner
Category: Horror

Blade: The Iron Cross (2020)

13 October 2022

Rating: ★★★

Killer Dolls and Nazi Zombies

Director: John Lechago
Actors: Tania Fox, Vincent Cusimano, Roy Abrahamson, Griffin Blazi, …
Category: Horror

Blood Dolls (1999)

23 April 200023 September 2024

Rating: ★★★

Demented Puppetmaster

Director: Charles Band
Actors: Debra Mayer, Phil Fondacaro, Nicholas Worth, Jack Maturin, …
Category: Horror

The Boy (2016)

30 January 201617 October 2023

Rating: ★★

Sinister Possibly Living Doll

Director: William Brent Bell
Actors: Lauren Cohan, Rupert Evans, Jim Norton, Ben Robson
Category: Horror

Brahms: The Boy II (2020)

17 April 20206 December 2021

Rating: ★★

Sinister Doll

Director: William Brent Bell
Actors: Katie Holmes, Christopher Convery, Owain Yeoman, Ralph Ineson, …
Category: Horror

Bride of Chucky (1998)

14 August 19998 March 2020

Rating: ★★

Child’s Play Sequel

Director: Ronny Yu
Actors: Jennifer Tilly, Brad Dourif, Katherine Heigl, John Ritter, …
Category: Horror

Candy Cane Lane (2023)

16 December 202316 December 2023

Rating: ★★

Christmas Film

Director: Reginald Hudlin
Actors: Eddie Murphy, Tracee Elliss Ross, Jillian Bell, Madison Thomas, …
Category: Fantasy

Child’s Play (1988)

8 June 20019 November 2023

Rating: ★★

Possessed Doll

Director: Tom Holland
Actors: Catherine Hicks, Chris Sarandon, Alex Vincent, Brad Dourif, …
Category: Horror

Child’s Play 2 (1990)

9 June 200317 April 2020

Rating: ★★½

Possessed Doll

Director: John Lafia
Actors: Jenny Agutter, Gerrit Graham, Alex Vincent, Christine Elise, …
Category: Horror

Child’s Play (2019)

20 September 201926 December 2022

Rating: ★

Evil Artificially Intelligent Doll

Director: Lars Klevberg
Actors: Aubrey Plaza, Mark Hamill, David Lewis, Tim Matheson
Category: Horror

Child’s Play 3 (1991)

4 August 201511 October 2022

Rating: ★★

Possessed Doll

Director: Jack Bender
Actors: Justin Whalin, Brad Dourif, Dakin Matthews, Andrew Robinson
Category: Horror

The Conjuring (2013)

19 July 201311 October 2023

Rating: ★★½

Haunting/Possession/”True Story”

Director: James Wan
Actors: Patrick Wilson, Vera Farmiga, Ron Livingston, Lili Taylor, …
Category: Horror

Cult of Chucky (2017)

9 October 201715 February 2024

Rating: ★★½

Child’s Play Sequel

Director: Don Mancini
Actors: Fiona Dourif, Brad Dourif, Michael Therriault, Alex Vincent, …
Category: Horror

Curse of Chucky (2013)

28 December 20139 November 2023

Rating: ★★½

Child’s Play Sequel

Director: Don Mancini
Actors: Fiona Dourif, Brad Dourif, Danielle Bisutti, Maitland McConnell, …
Category: Horror

Curse of Humpty Dumpty (2021)

29 May 202218 April 2025

Rating: ★★

Evil Doll

Director: Scott Jeffrey/Scott Chambers
Actors: Nicola Wright, Sian Altman, Antonia Whillans, Danielle Scott, …
Category: Horror

Dead of Night (1945)

2 September 200327 May 2025

Rating: ★★★★

Horror Anthology

Director: Basil Dearden, Cavalcanti, Robert Hamer, Charles Crichton
Actors: Michael Redgrave, Sally Ann Howes, Mervyn Johns, Roland Culver, …
Category: Horror

Dead Silence (2007)

17 April 200812 February 2025

Rating: ★★★

Possessed Ventriloquist’s Dolls

Director: James Wan
Actors: Ryan Kwanten, Donnie Wahlberg, Bob Gunton, Michael Fairman, …
Category: Horror

Demonic Toys (1992)

3 December 201527 October 2024

Rating: ★★½

Malevolent Toys and Dolls

Director: Peter Manoogian
Actors: Tracy Scoggins, Bentley Mitchum, Barry Lynch
Category: Horror

The Devil-Doll (1936)

28 August 200129 November 2024

Rating: ★★★

Miniaturised People/Revenge Drama

Director: Tod Browning
Actors: Lionel Barrymore, Maureen O'Sullivan, Frank Lawton, Henry B. Walthall, …
Category: Horror

Devil Doll (1964)

27 February 200411 April 2025

Rating: ★★★

Possessed Ventriloquist’s Doll/Sinister Hypnotist

Director: Lindsay Shonteff
Actors: Bryant Haliday, William Sylvester, Yvonne Romain
Category: Horror

The Doll Master (2004)

13 May 202030 January 2021

Rating: ★★★

Sinister Doll Museum

Director: Jeong Yong-ki
Category: Horror

Dollman Vs. the Demonic Toys (1993)

1 June 200427 October 2024

Rating: ★★

Miniature Cop vs Satanic Dolls

Director: Charles Band
Actors: Tim Thomerson, Tracy Scoggins, Melissa Behr, Phil Brock, …
Category: Science Fiction

Dolls (1987)

4 April 20016 January 2020

Rating: ★★

Malevolent Dolls

Director: Stuart Gordon
Actors: Guy Rolfe, Hilary Mason, Carolyn Purdy-Gordon
Category: Horror

Dolly Dearest (1991)

8 March 20238 March 2023

Rating: ★★

Possessed Doll

Director: Maria Lease
Actors: Denise Crosby, Sam Bottoms, Rip Torn, Chris Demetral, …
Category: Horror

Fantasia 2000 (1999)

3 January 20004 January 2022

Rating: ★★

Disney Animation and Music Anthology

Director: Don Hahn, Pixote Hunt, Hendel Butoy, Eric Goldberg, …
Actors: Penn Jillette, James Earl Jones, Angela Lansbury, Steve Martin, …
Category: Fantasy

The Fear (1994)

26 March 200717 November 2020

Rating: ★

Evil Dummy

Director: Vincent Robert
Actors: Vince Edwards, Darin Heames, Heather Medway, Ann Turkel, …
Category: Horror

Genius Party Beyond (2008)

4 April 200927 July 2020

Rating: ★★★

Anime Anthology

Director: Masahiro Maeda, Kazuto Nakazawa, Shinya Ohara, Tatsuyuki Tanaka, …
Category: Fantasy

Ghosthouse (1988)

31 March 20223 December 2024

Rating: ★★

Haunted House/Italian Horror

Director: Umberto Lenzi
Actors: Greg Scott, Lara Wendel, Mary Sellers, Donald O'Brien
Category: Horror

Goosebumps 2 (2018)

14 April 201930 July 2021

Rating: ★★

Evil Ventriloquist’s Dummy Amok

Director: Ari Sandel
Actors: Jeremy Ray Taylor, Madison Iseman, Caleel Harris, Mark Winert, …
Category: Horror

Goosebumps (2015)

25 October 201526 July 2021

Rating: ★★

Horror Writer’s Creations Unleashed

Director: Rob Letterman
Actors: Jack Black, Dylan Minette, Odeya Rush, Amy Ryan, …
Category: Horror

Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio (2022)

17 December 202217 December 2022

Rating: ★★★½

Living Puppet Boy/Stop-Motion Animation

Director: Guillermo Del Toro, Mark Gustafson
Actors: Ewan McGregor, David Bradley, Gregory Mann, Christoph Waltz, …
Category: Fantasy

A Haunted House 2 (2014)

1 June 20151 July 2021

Rating: ★★

Genre Spoof

Director: Michael Tiddes
Actors: Marlon Wayans, Jaime Pressly, Essence Atkins, Gabriel Iglesias, …
Category: Horror

The Hole (2009)

21 February 201820 September 2024

Rating: ★★★

Kids Open a Portal/Young Adult Horror

Director: Joe Dante
Actors: Chris Massoglia, Haley Bennett, Nathan Gamble, Teri Polo, …
Category: Horror

House of Evil (1971)

30 January 202027 December 2023

Rating: ½

Murders in a Sinister Old Mansion/Evil Toys

Director: Jack Hill, Juan Ibañez
Actors: Boris Karloff, Julissa, Andres Garcia, Angel Espinoza, …
Category: Horror

Jack the Giant Killer (1962)

19 June 200017 August 2023

Rating: ★★

Heroic Fantasy Adventure

Director: Nathan Juran
Actors: Kerwin Mathews, Torin Thatcher, Judi Meredith, Don Beddoe, …
Category: Fantasy

Jade Dynasty (2019)

11 July 202211 July 2022

Rating: ★★★

Wu Xia Film

Director: Ching Siu-Tung
Actors: Xiao Zhan, Meng Meiqi, Li Qin, Qiu Xinzhi, …
Category: Fantasy

Josh Kirby … Time Warrior! Trapped on Toyworld (1996)

31 December 200221 December 2021

Rating: ★★½

Juvenile Adventures Through Time

Director: Frank Arnold
Actors: Corbin Allred, Derek Webster, Sharon Lee Jones, Barrie Ingham, …
Category: Science Fiction

Longlegs (2024)

30 August 20242 April 2025

Rating: ★★

Serial Killer Thriller

Director: Osgood Perkins
Actors: Maika Monroe, Nicolas Cage, Blair Underwood, Alicia Witt, …
Category: Horror

M3gan (2022)

4 February 202329 June 2025

Rating: ★★

Artificially Intelligent Doll Amok

Director: Gerard Johnstone
Actors: Allison Williams, Violet McGraw, Amie Donald, Jenna Davis, …
Category: Science Fiction, Horror

Magic (1978)

13 December 20023 March 2020

Rating: ★★★½

Malevolent Ventriloquist’s Dummy

Director: Richard Attenborough
Actors: Anthony Hopkins, Ann-Margret, Burgess Meredith, Ed Lauter
Category: Horror

May (2002)

1 June 20045 July 2020

Rating: ★★★

Gonzo Rejection Story

Director: Lucky McKee
Actors: Angela Bettis, Jeremy Sisto, Anna Faris, James Duval, …
Category: Horror

The New Adventures of Pinocchio (1999)

8 January 20119 June 2020

Rating: ½

Living Puppet Boy

Director: Michael Anderson
Actors: Martin Landau, Udo Kier, Sarah Alexander, Simon Schatzberger, …
Category: Fantasy

Oz: The Great and Powerful (2013)

8 March 201311 January 2025

Rating: ★★★

The Wizard of Oz Prequel

Director: Sam Raimi
Actors: James Franco, Mila Kunis, Michelle Williams, Rachel Weisz, …
Category: Fantasy

Pin (1988)

3 March 20203 March 2020

Rating: ★★★

Man’s Disturbed Relationship with a Sinister Anatomical Dummy

Director: Sandor Stern
Actors: David Hewlett, Cyndy Preston, Terry O'Quinn, John Pyper-Ferguson, …
Category: Horror

Pinocchio (1940)

8 July 20055 December 2024

Rating: ★★★★★

Disney Animation/Living Puppet Boy

Director: Hamilton Luske, Ben Sharpsteen
Category: Fantasy

Pinocchio (2019)

13 June 202020 July 2023

Rating: ★★★★

Living Puppet Boy

Director: Matteo Garrone
Actors: Federico Ielapi, Roberto Benigni, Massimo Ceccherini, Rocco Papaleo, …
Category: Fantasy

Pinocchio (2022)

16 September 202224 May 2025

Rating: ★★

Living Puppet Boy/Disney Remake

Director: Robert Zemeckis
Actors: Tom Hanks, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Benjamin Evans Ainsworth, Keegan-Michael Key, …
Category: Fantasy

Possum (2018)

29 December 202029 December 2020

Rating: ★★★

Sinister Puppet/Disturbed Psychology

Director: Matthew Holness
Actors: Sean Harris, Alun Armstrong, Charlie Eales
Category: Horror

Puppet Master II (1990)

6 December 200427 June 2024

Rating: ★★

Malevolent Dolls

Director: David Allen
Actors: Elizabeth MacLellan, Collin Bernsen, Nita Talbot, Charlie Spradling
Category: Horror

Puppetmaster (1989)

15 May 200119 February 2025

Rating: ★★★

Malevolent Dolls

Director: David Schmoeller
Actors: Paul Le Mat, Irene Miracle, Robin Frates, Jimmie F. Skaggs, …
Category: Horror

Puppetmaster III: Toulon’s Revenge (1991)

26 January 200313 April 2021

Rating: ★★

Puppetmaster & Toys vs Nazis

Director: David DeCoteau
Actors: Guy Rolfe, Richard Lynch, Ian Abercrombie, Aron Eisenberg, …
Category: Horror

Re/Member (2022)

25 January 202425 January 2024

Rating: ★★½

Timeloop Horror Film

Director: Eiichiro Hasumi
Actors: Kanna Hashimoto, Gordon Maeda, Maika Yamamoto, Fuju Kamio, …
Category: Horror

Retro Puppetmaster (1999)

17 November 200010 August 2022

Rating: ★★

Toymaker Creates Living Dolls

Director: Joseph Tennent
Actors: Greg Sestero, Guy Rolfe, Stephan Blackehart, Serban Celea
Category: Horror

Robert the Doll (2015)

10 February 202111 May 2023

Rating: ★★

Evil Doll

Director: Andrew Jones
Actors: Suzie Francis Carton, Lee Bane, Flynn Allen, Judith Haley, …
Category: Horror

Sakuya, The Slayer of Demons (2000)

18 January 202221 September 2023

Rating: ★★★½

Demon Slaying Girl Samurai

Director: Tomoo Haraguchi
Actors: Nozomi Ando, Keiko Matsuzaka, Hiroshi Fujioka
Category: Fantasy

Scary Tales (2001)

10 June 20027 March 2025

Rating: ★★½

Horror Anthology

Director: Michael A. Hoffman
Actors: Bill Cassinelli, Joel D. Wynkoop, Ria Rampersad
Category: Horror

Screamtime (1983)

18 March 202018 March 2020

Rating: ★★

Horror Anthology

Director: Michael Armstrong
Actors: Robin Bailey, Dora Bryan
Category: Horror

Seed of Chucky (2004)

18 March 200516 September 2019

Rating: ★★★

Child’s Play Sequel

Director: Don Mancini
Actors: Jennifer Tilly, Brad Dourif, Billy Boyd, Redman, …
Category: Horror

Shanks (1974)

13 October 202113 October 2021

Rating: ★★

Puppeteer Resurrects the Dead

Director: William Castle
Actors: Marcel Marceau, Cindy Eilbacher, Larry Bishop, Don Calfa, …
Category: Horror

Shrek 2 (2004)

5 July 20045 December 2024

Rating: ★★

Animation/Fairytale Spoof

Director: Andrew Adamson, Kelly Asbury, Conrad Vernon
Actors: Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz, Eddie Murphy, Antonio Banderas, …
Category: Fantasy

Shrek (2001)

22 May 200113 August 2021

Rating: ★★★★

Animation/Fairytale Spoof

Director: Andrew Adamson, Vicky Jenson
Actors: Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, John Lithgow, …
Category: Fantasy

Stan Helsing: A Parody (2009)

2 November 200921 July 2021

Rating: ★½

Horror Parody

Director: Bo Zenga
Actors: Steve Howey, Diora Baird, Leslie Nielsen, Kenan Thompson, …
Category: Horror

The Strange World of Coffin Joe (1968)

7 June 201619 September 2024

Rating: ★★

Horror Anthology

Director: Jose Mojica Marins
Actors: Jose Mojica Marins
Category: Horror

Tales from the Hood (1995)

23 July 20143 August 2024

Rating: ★★★

African-American Horror Anthology

Director: Rusty Cundieff
Actors: Clarence Williams III, Corbin Bernsen, Rosalind Cash, Wings Hauser, …
Category: Horror

Tales from the Hood 2 (2018)

20 September 20216 December 2024

Rating: ★★

African-American Horror Anthology

Director: Rusty Cundieff, Darin Scott
Actors: Keith David, Kendrick Cross, Bryan Batt, Bill Martin Williams, …
Category: Horror

The Tales of Hoffmann (1951)

6 April 201529 June 2021

Rating: ★★★★

Anthology of Fantasy Tales/Ballet

Director: Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger
Actors: Robert Rounseville, Robert Helpmann, Moira Shearer, Philip Leaver, …
Category: Fantasy

The Theatre Bizarre (2011)

5 August 201330 May 2023

Rating: ★★★

Horror Anthology

Director: Jeremy Kasten, Richard Stanley, Buddy Giovinazzo, Tom Savini, …
Actors: Udo Kier, Catriona MacColl, Debbie Rochon, Tom Savini, …
Category: Horror

Tourist Trap (1979)

22 June 200114 September 2024

Rating: ★★★

Psychokinetic Psycho

Director: David Schmoeller
Actors: Chuck Connors, Tanya Roberts, Jon Van Ness, Robin Sherwood
Category: Horror

Toy Story 4 (2019)

12 October 20198 November 2024

Rating: ★★★★

Pixar Animation/The Secret Life of Toys

Director: Josh Cooley
Actors: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Annie Potts, Tony Hale, …
Category: Fantasy

The Toymaker (2017)

11 May 202311 May 2023

Rating: ★★

Toymaker Brings Dolls to Life

Director: Andrew Jones
Actors: Lee Bane, Erick Hayden, Jo Weil, Bodo Freisecke, …
Category: Horror

Toys in the Attic (2009)

23 September 20122 January 2023

Rating: ★★½

Stop-Motion Animation/The Secret Life of Toys

Director: Jiri Barta, Vivian Schilling
Category: Fantasy

Trilogy of Terror (1975)

9 September 20077 November 2019

Rating: ★★★½

Horror Anthology

Director: Dan Curtis
Actors: Karen Black, Robert Burton, Jim Storm, Kathryn Reynolds, …
Category: Horror

Trilogy of Terror II (1996)

10 January 202410 January 2024

Rating: ★★

Horror Anthology

Director: Dan Curtis
Actors: Lysette Anthony, Geraint Wyn Davies, Matt Clark, Geoffrey Lewis, …
Category: Horror

Welcome to Marwen (2018)

12 April 201915 September 2022

Rating: ★★

Man Builds a Fantasy Doll Village/True Story

Director: Robert Zemeckis
Actors: Steve Carell, Leslie Mann, Merritt Wever, Eiza Gonzalez, …
Category: Fantasy

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Contact Moria

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Theme Essays

  • Films About Atlantis
  • Werewolf Films
  • Virtual Reality
  • Imprisonment Thrillers
  • Films Depicting NASA and the Space Program
  • Human Bloodsports and Death Games
  • Animals Attack Films
  • Films About Plague and Pandemic
  • Disaster Movies
  • Steampunk Films
  • Documentaries
  • Films About Halloween
  • Films About Prophecy
  • Magicians and Sorcerers
  • Secret Societies
  • Real-Life People in Fiction
  • Techno-Thrillers
  • Twins in Fantastic Cinema
  • Asylums
  • Possession Films
  • Films About Imaginary and Magical Lands
  • Religion in Fantastic Cinema
  • Romantic Comedies
  • Film Noir
  • Spy Films
  • Jekyll and Hyde Films
  • Films That Make Dubious Claims to Being True Stories
  • Coming of Age Stories in Fantastic Cinema
  • Films About Cryogenics and Suspended Animation
  • Alternate History Films
  • Disturbed Psychology as Portrayed on Film
  • Law Enforcement in Fantastic Cinema
  • Weird Westerns
∧

Copyright Richard Scheib 1999-2025

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