If you’ve been following my writing for a while, you will be no stranger to Genevieve–a deranged and disgusting doll that haunts the darkest corners of minds…and homes. Featured in the short film, also titled Genevieve, as well as Genevieve Wreaks Havoc and Two Twisted Tales, this is Genevieve’s feature film debut after a series of short form titles.

Real life screenwriter, director, and editor Nicholas Michael Jacobs of NMJ films is haunted by his very own creation in more ways than one. What starts out as a desperate search for the next piece of the Genevieve series becomes a desperate flee from the horrors she brings. In a charming anthological twist, each possible plotline plays out before us before the “real” horror begins. Tales of revenge and satanic rituals, classic chase horror, and a ton of jump cuts and creepy cinematography are slammed into forty five minutes of terror. 

When I’ve written about NMJ films previously, I’ve been very adamant that what makes their films work is the short format – so seeing a feature length runtime on Genevieve scared me almost as much as the doll herself. It is with great relief that I share with you – they nailed it. It’s just short enough, and written in a style that doesn’t allow for the concept to get too stale.

The true hero of this movie is the editing and cinematography. The atmosphere is impeccable – adding to the terror lurking around every corner. The house, the doorways, and the floorboards are so prevalent in the horror of the film that they almost become their own characters. As always the puppeteering of the doll herself is delightfully creepy, and voice performance by Alan Maxson is superb.

I’m excited to see more Genevieve chapters come from the demented mind of Nicholas Michael Jacobs.

6 out of 10