October Horror Challenge 2017 #37: "The Devil's Dolls"

Hey, I have an idea, let's make a horror movie and then release it under 642 different titles! Won't that be fun?! I mean seriously, I know this happened a lot in the 70s and even in the 80s, with cheesy little horror movies being released under different titles in different countries, but haven't we learned anything since then? Come on people, pick a title and stick with it. I've seen this movie listed under the titles "Devil Dolls," "Worry Dolls," "The Devil's Dolls" and possibly more that I didn't see because o got annoyed and stopped looking. I think "The Devil's Dolls" is probably the best title, and the most apt given the plot, but this is definitely my favorite poster for the movie, so here we go.

This movie is about a crazed killer targeting young girls (and a brutal one at that) who strikes fear into the hearts of many, and in the wake of his killing spree, a curse seems to be taking hold of a small southern town. The head detective on the killer's trail finds a box of dolls belonging to the killer, Guatamala "worry dolls," traditionally given to children to help calm their fears. These particular dolls seem to hold sway over people, causing their owners to commit acts of violence. The detective must figure out how to protect his daughter from the evil and stop it before time runs out.

I love him I've mentioned before that dolls creep me out. I don't have a hard time believing that they're evil, especially the ones in this movie which are extra spooky. The acting in this movie is good too, which helps. There's plenty of family drama to complicate matters, too. The lead detective is divorced and shares custody of his daughter with a long-suffering wife who dealt with his obsession with the serial killer for years and is newly engaged to a nice guy who just wants to be a good husband and step dad to her daughter.

I like all the characters here, and I especially like how when the supernatural cause behind all the horror is revealed, they mostly accept it and try to find a solution instead of denying it could happen and burying their heads in the sand while the body count rises. Overall, there's some good gore here, good acting, and well-drawn characters, so this is a cut above some other horror movies I could name. I was impressed with this one, under any title.