Dolls have long been a staple in horror movies, serving as eerie symbols of childhood innocence twisted into something sinister. From the iconic toy doll in Child's Play to the haunting Annabelle in The Conjuring, these dolls have left a lasting impression on audiences.
In January 2023, the world of horror gifted us another spooky doll, M3GAN. And while scary movie fanatics everywhere are raving about the new creepy doll from the big screen, let's see how she compares to other unforgettable dolls in horror film history.
8 Hugo In Dead Of Night (1945)
Dead of Night is a British horror anthology film released in 1945. One segment of the film, called "The Ventriloquist's Dummy," features a ventriloquist named Maxwell Frere and his dummy, Hugo. The dummy is said to be possessed by the spirit of a dead ventriloquist and is able to move on its own. The segment depicts the dummy's increasing control over Maxwell and the tragic consequences that ensue and is considered the original creepy doll in the horror genre. While it seems that M3GAN is already a horror icon, we can thank Hugo in Dead Of Night for his influence in horror.
7 Jigsaw In The Saw Franchise (2004)
Saw is a horror movie franchise that began in 2004 that follows a serial killer known as Jigsaw who traps his victims in elaborate scenarios designed to test their will to live. While Jigsaw the puppet doesn't move by himself as he's controlled by his owner, his face is one of the most recognized symbols in pop culture. Will M3GAN leave the same lasting effect on us? Only time will tell.
6 Fats In Magic (1978)
Magic centers around a ventriloquist named Corky who, after his career as a performer is ruined, turns to a dummy named Fats to help him cope with his loneliness. However, Corky's obsession with Fats becomes dangerous as he begins to believe that the dummy is alive and has a mind of its own. Throughout the film, the audience is left questioning whether Fats is truly alive or if Corky is losing his mind. Fats' design, with its sinister grin and lifeless eyes, adds to the eerie atmosphere of the film. While M3GAN is quite creepy, she lacks in the traditional vintage doll look. M3GAN was created with CGI unlike Fats, but that doesn't make her any less terrifying. She's just a bit different from the horror dolls that came before her.
5 Chucky In Child's Play (1988)
Chucky had a significant influence on other creepy dolls in the horror genre. The concept of a possessed doll as a killer, first introduced in the original Child's Play film, has been used in various other horror films and TV shows including Annabelle. The idea of a seemingly innocent toy becoming a force of evil taps into people's fears of the unknown and the unexpected, making for a terrifying and suspenseful story.
Chucky's design, with his red hair and overalls, has become synonymous with the horror genre, and many other dolls in horror films have taken inspiration from this iconic look. It's no surprise that M3GAN reminded all of us of Chucky.
4 Annabelle In Annabelle (2013)
Annabelle is a horror icon and one of the most recognizable dolls in the genre. She first appeared in the 2013 film Annabelle and has since been featured in several other films in the Conjuring universe. Her design, with her porcelain features and vintage appearance, adds to her eerie and unsettling appearance.
Annabelle's story centers around a cursed doll that is said to be possessed by a malevolent spirit, similar to Chucky from the Child's Play franchise. However, Annabelle's backstory and presentation are different, as her origins are rooted in the belief of the demonologists Ed and Lorraine Warren, and the aura of the doll is more closely tied to the supernatural, creating a unique and different perspective on the theme.
While Annabelle and M3GAN are both feminine dolls, they have many differences aesthetically and story-wise. M3GAN isn't possessed by demons, but she is a malfunctioning piece of artificial intelligence, which may be even more terrifying and unique to this generation.
3 Brahms In The Boy (2016)
The viewers never sees Brahms actually move, walk, talk, or kill in the film, but that may make it even creepier. Brahms is a porcelain doll that's named after the owners' son who had died years prior. And the ending of the movie gives a twist that no one sees coming. So how does Brahms compare to M3GAN? Well, while their backstories are quite different, their realistic facial features send shivers down your spine.
2 Dolly Dearest (1991)
When Dolly Dearest first hit the big screen in the early '90s, everyone was quick to criticize her lack of originality. The killer girl doll story was extremely similar to Chucky in Child's Play, but that doesn't mean the movie was boring and kept audiences on the edge of their seats. In relation to M3GAN, their backgrounds are quite different, but it is exciting to see how sweet innocent looking girl dolls may be even more terrifying than their male counterparts.
1 Talky Tina In The Twilight Zone (1963)
Although Talky Tina was never on the big screen, (she was only featured on an episode of the Twilight Zone) she is one of the creepiest dolls in horror sci-fi. Talky Tina has a mind of her own in the episode, telling her owners father that she "hates him," and that she "could hurt him." although Talky Tina isn't seen moving about on her own, her eerie and playful voice is one of the scariest aspects of dolls in the realm of horror. Though Talky Tina isn't remembered in the same way as Chucky, Annabelle, or even M3GAN, she is still exceptionally horrifying.
