Killer dolls are fodder for phobias and nightmares. They are somewhat of a paradox, because dolls are supposed to be the loyal companions of innocent children, not cold-blooded killers. But, when dolls do go bad, they go very bad. An early example of the killer doll can be found in The Twilight Zone series: with Talky Tina who really wanted to kill you. It didn’t stop there, though; creepy and homicidal dolls have continued to rear their ugly heads in film and television for many years now.
We assert that there are few things creepier than malevolent playthings and that killer dolls are not to be trusted. So it is with a measure of caution that we bring to you our selections for ten of the creepiest dolls in cinema.
Chucky from Child’s Play
The Chuckster is the creepiest of the creepy dolls. Though he isn’t the original creepy doll, he is definitely the most notorious. Not only will he kill you and attempt to steal your body, he will also make bad wisecracks whilst doing so. Chucky is ruthless; he kills because he loves to kill. He loves killing in a variety of ways and he relishes each moment of choking the life out of his victims.
Annabelle from The Conjuring
The Annabelle doll was one of the most terrifying things about The Conjuring and she wasn’t even a primary plot point. She worked in to a sub-plot, but she didn’t really play an essential role in the film. However, she was creepy enough to make a major impact on the audience. This has led me to the conclusion that James Wan is a master of creepy dolls. Check out the real Annabelle doll here for endless nightmares.
Billy from Dead Silence
“Beware the stare of Mary Shaw. She had no children, only dolls. And if you see her, do not scream, or she’ll rip your tongue out at the seam.” Mary Shaw and her dummies are simply terrifying. Billy was the creepy icing on the creepy cake that was Dead Silence. Everywhere he went, he left a wake of destruction behind him and he did so while looking incredibly creepy. Ventriloquist dummies are creepy all on their own, but with the help of the Dead Silence props team, Billy reached an epic new level of creepy.
Dolly from Dolly Dearest
Dolly Dearest was a nasty little thing. The malicious little creep was responsible for a series of seemingly unrelated accidents and caused the Wade family an undeserved amount of strife. She was poised to be somewhat of a female Chucky – one of the taglines even made reference to the Child’s Play films – but no sequel ever materialized. Likely, the lukewarm reception to the film is to blame for why a sequel never materialized.
All of the dolls from Dolls
A seemingly demure elderly couple proves that they are actually anything but demure in this Stuart Gordon classic. The film served as somewhat of a modern fairy tale with the motto being: don’t be a dick and you won’t meet your demise at the hands of satanic toys. Picking one doll as the creepiest in Dolls would be like picking our favorite cat video on YouTube. It’s simply not possible. They are all creepy, they are all mean, and they are al awesome!
Clown Doll in Poltergeist
Clowns probably have more detractors than supporters. With so many children – and adults – terrified of clowns, it’s hard to believe they still turn up in so many places. The clown doll in Poltergeist is no exception when it comes to the tendency to terrify; it made a big impression in its short time on the screen. The clown doll even frightened Oliver Robbins, the actor who played Robbie Freeling. Oliver was actually choked by the doll during the shoot and the crew thought that he was just acting, so it took an inordinate amount of time for anyone to realize the lad needed help.
Tiffany from the Child’s Play franchise
Though not quite as frightening as Chucky, Tiffany still manages to hold her own on the creepy doll landscape. Anyone who is demented enough to have strong romantic feelings for Charles Lee Ray is clearly not be trifled with. In fact, it would be best to steer clear of Tiffany under any circumstances.
Zuni doll from Trilogy of Terror
The doll from Trilogy of Terror was an absolute maniac and it knew that Karen Black’s character was up to no good, so it kept at her until Black’s character saw things from its perspective. The final scene of the vignette where Karen Black’s character has the Zuni doll teeth makes me sick every time I watch it. She just looks so outrageously creepy.
Blade from PuppetMaster
The interesting thing about Blade is that he is modeled after David Schmoeller’s muse actor Klaus Kinski. The likeness is uncanny and the creep factor is through the roof. Blade has a sinister smirk and a homicidal flare that have caused him to haunt more than a few nightmares over the years.
Billy doll from the Saw franchise
The tricycle-riding doll from the Saw films is a very bad omen. If you catch sight of it, it’s already too late. He is always the bearer of bad news. When he comes on the scene, it is with an ominous message from Jigsaw. While the doll hasn’t actually been referred to as Billy in the film franchise, it is reportedly known behind the scenes as the Billy Doll.
Honorable mention to: SimPal Cindy from The Sixth Day
The Sixth Day didn’t feature a killer doll, and thus why it didn’t make the cut, but it certainly featured a creepy doll. I saw The Sixth Day in the theater with my friend Liz and neither of us could focus our attention on the film because we were so taken aback by the creepy silicone doll that the young girl in the film was toting around. After we left the theater, the first thing Liz said was: “I want to put that bitch in the oven.” I cannot say that I blame her. The doll is completely frightening and the worst part is that it wasn’t even supposed to be scary.