Dolly is the real deal. A gritty homage to 70’s grind house and New French Extremity, Dolly is the simple story of idiots that go further into the woods despite every red flag only to encounter a brutal force of primal violence. Filmmaker Rod Blackhurst fully redeems himself after the atrocity that was Night Swim to write and direct a movie so unsettling that it made me want to shower. For the record I did. Dolly Gives you every reason to stay out of the woods.
The set up is agonizingly simple. Chase (Seann William Scott) takes Rachel (Kate Cobb) to his favorite spot in the woods to propose marriage only to encounter a new, primal threat in his childhood playground. The couple is right there, on the cusp of matrimony. Still Rachel is hesitant to become a stepmom to Chase’s daughter and so the internal debate goes. As Chase leads Rachel through the forest to his favorite overlook, the two encounter a creepy display of children’s dolls nailed to a cluster of trees. Not picking up on the red flags, the two lovebirds saunter forth. A great metaphor if you think about it.
They are soon attacked by the porcelain-masked Dolly (Max the Impaler) who immobilizes Chase and drags Rachel to an ornate victorian home nestled deep in the growth. Here the film revels in grueling moments of violence and captivity. Dolly, a lumbering mass of flesh operates on a simplistic level of care, obedience, and worst of all, discipline. This creature can’t understand why Rachel would want to escape, much less suckle from their bulbous teat. Yet Rachel’s focus is escape.
The set up is elegantly simple and it indicates a crystal clear understanding of what makes its inspirations work. We have notes of The Hills Have Eyes and Last House on the Left married to some Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Martyrs along with a hint of Haute Tension. The focus is on the dire situation and the need to escape. That’s it. That’s the movie.
What makes it work are the glorious practical effects, the overall approach and execution in the production, and the performances from the folks on screen. Cinematographer Justin Derry really captures that tangible look of grainy 70’s movies, although the dust and scratches get distracting on occasion. I was honestly crazy for the sound design on this film that payed homage to the low budget horror flicks of the 1970’s with its ADR-heavy nature that enunciated every visual cue with a thumpy sound. Best of all, we have a new monster in Dolly. Max the Impaler‘s non-verbal, wildly expressive performance is a revelation. This feels like the first time I watched David Howard Thornton play Art the Clown. Max the Impaler succeeds.
No, Dolly is not for everyone, it’s not a perfect movie, and it’s certainly not for the Oscar voters. Rod Blackhurst and Brandon Weavil have boiled down the bitter elements to pay respects to the cruel, unhinged movies that tapped into our fears as we picked over the last scraps in the horror movie section at Blockbuster. Dolly is one of those old school movies that would have lived up to its cover art. Dolly is here to keep you up at night.
