One of the most famous (and widely used) tropes in horror storytelling is that of a creepy, haunted doll. Though this theme is pervasive, there’s still enough room left to explore so that a movie can still feel fresh and unique. Mamochka, by writer/director Vilan Trub, dives into this prevalent plot point and delivers a decent amount of psychological thriller aspects in an attempt to help it stand out amongst its predecessors.
Jane (Maya Murphy) has recently lost her mother, and in turn, has inherited some of her belongings. We immediately get the sense that her passing wasn’t necessarily the emotionally traumatizing event we’d expect it to be, and she makes several offhanded comments that allude to the fact that this was more of a relief than anything else. Amongst those belongings is a rather unsettling antique doll, that neither Jane nor her husband, Mark (Alexander Kollar), have any knowledge of the origin or backstory surrounding it.
The doll itself isn’t necessarily threatening in appearance – it looks fairly benign with its porcelain face and dated clothing. In other words – this is no Chucky or Annabelle. Despite this, there’s no getting around the fact that receiving an old doll of unknown origin is just…ominous.
It’s not long before unexplainable happenings begin to take place once the doll takes up residence in their home. First, the couple’s young son, Brian (Stanley Trub) behaves uncharacteristically odd and inappropriate towards his babysitter, Sarah (Saidie Stone). Mark then begins to exhibit a concerning obsession towards the doll and its origin – so much so, that he ends up taking it to an expert he hopes can give him more information regarding its whereabouts.
This so-called “doll expert” reveals to Mark that its roots date back to Nazi Germany, and, even more concerning, contain elements taken directly from concentration camp victims. For most people, hearing that the hair on the doll is made from victims of torture would be enough to throw it directly in the trash; but Mark is fascinated.
Thus begins a bizarre deep dive down a twisted rabbit hole for Mark, which results in his mental demise. He becomes obsessed with watching World War 2 documentaries, and learning about the Nazi regime. Jane is understandably concerned, not just with Mark’s odd new hobby, but also with Brian’s recent behavior.
From here, Mamochka unravels in several confusing ways. Much of the second half feels like a fever dream, with confusing time jumps, and actual “this was all just a dream” sequences that make it difficult to understand the linear timeline. As Mark’s mental state begins to deteriorate, so does our understanding of what is real, and what isn’t.
Despite this, there is an oddly engrossing aspect to this story, as the viewer is left to determine the validity of what is taking place, while also watching the emotional demise of a family left helpless from an inanimate object. The other aspect that makes this film interesting is the fact that this doll does not behave in threatening ways. It doesn’t come to life, or run around with a weapon murdering people. It just silently sits unmoving, often in the corner of a room, looking completely harmless.
It’s clear the movie was produced on a small budget, and the crew does the best that they can with the resources at hand. While the idea itself is nuanced enough to stand out in the genre, the bewildering dream sequences and slow burn nature still make it a difficult watch overall.
What truly saves this story are the final moments, which highlight the acting prowess of both Murphy and Kollar. This alone all but saves Mamochka from being a total miss into something that is adequate to watch for those who are fans of the genre.
