There’s something inherently unsettling about inanimate objects that move on their own accord, especially when they tap into that unsettling uncanny valley by resembling humans. That’s what makes killer toys, and killer dolls specifically, so effectively terrifying.
This week brings the release of M3GAN 2.0, which sees the high-tech killer doll getting an upgrade to battle a new threat. Naturally, this week’s streaming picks are dedicated to killer toy horror movies that deliver plenty of scares, kills, heart, humor, and occasionally a great fashion sense.
As always, here’s where you can stream them this week.
For more Stay Home, Watch Horror picks, click here.
Annabelle: Creation – Max
Director David F. Sandberg’s prequel to Annabelle rewinds to the eerie doll’s origins, centered around the tragedy that befell dollmaker Samuel Mullins’ family that ushered in demonic terror. It’s not just the rug pull reveal behind Annabelle’s true target among the young orphans and the Mullins household that sets this prequel/sequel apart; it’s the onslaught of potent scares. Sandberg utilizes every tool in his arsenal to deliver the chills in spades, with the demonic Annabelle taking advantage of every creepy crevice and darkened corner to induce maximum frights.
Dead Silence – AMC+, Shudder
A young widower heads home for answers regarding his wife’s murder, which may be linked to the restless spirit of a ventriloquist. While Mary Shaw had many dolls, ventriloquist dummy Billy was by far her favorite. Billy cut out Jamie’s wife’s tongue in the opening sequence, and it was Billy that haunted him more frequently than any other puppets. Before Annabelle’s first appearance in The Conjuring, James Wan practiced scaring audiences with Billy. The vengeful ghost of Mary Shaw might be just as spooky. Dead Silence features Billy the most, but the glimpse of Mary Shaw’s vast collection makes you wish this one received a sequel.
Dolls – MGM+, Pluto TV
“Toys are very loyal, and that’s a fact.” From the perspective of little Judy, a sweet little girl with a love of toys, the Gothic mansion belonging to Gabriel and Hilary Hartwicke is a dream come true. Not only are they far kinder than her father and stepmother, but the estate is filled with dolls, puppets, and toys. However, if you’re a jerk adult, the mansion is a death trap. While this Stuart Gordon-directed fairy tale draws clear lines between the innocent and the morally corrupt deserving of their fate, it’s still really creepy to see them meet their doom at the hands of the dolls. Even creepier is what happens to them after the dolls attack.
The Hole – Fawesome, Prime Video, Roku Channel
Director Joe Dante’s gateway 3D horror movie forces its young protagonists to face their fears, while ensuring the fears are suitably terrifying and challenging. Teen Dane (Chris Massoglia) and his younger brother, Lucas (Nathan Gamble), discover a locked trapdoor in the basement of their new suburban home. Opening the trapdoor seems to reveal a bottomless pit, but the brothers, along with neighbor Julie (Haley Bennett), discover that they’ve unleashed something far more horrifying than they could’ve imagined. This ’90s suburban horror throwback tailors the horror to its victims’ personal fears, which means J-horror-like hauntings and one unsettling jester doll in this Twilight Zone-esque PG-13 horror movie.
Magic – AMC+, Fawesome, Kanopy, Midnight Pulp, Night Flight+, Peacock, Prime Video, Roku Channel, Screambox, Shout! TV, Shudder
The ventriloquist dummy at the center of this horror film, Fats, was so creepy that the TV spots had to be taken off the air during the promotion of Magic. The 30-second ad featuring Fats was enough to cause nightmares in children, scarring some for life. Who can blame them? Ventriloquist dummies are a particular brand of horror on their own, but one as menacing as Fats? That he resembles his human counterpart, Corky Withers (Anthony Hopkins, who also voices Fats), probably doesn’t help either. Ventriloquists and their dummies have nightmarish co-dependency issues in horror, which drives this fantastic psychological horror feature from director Richard Attenborough and writer William Goldman.
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