Horror Movies With Haunted Dolls and Killer Toys
In the horror genre, killer toys like dolls and ventriloquist dummies come to life to commit violence, challenging childhood innocence. These stories explore companionship, influence on children, and are often set in troubled households. Originally tied to occultism, newer works incorporate artificial intelligence. So get ready for a thrilling experience with this list of 10 horror movies featuring haunted dolls and killer toys, including “Annabelle” and “Child’s Play.”
Trilogy of Terror (1975) – Third Story: Amelia
Amelia cancels plans with her mother to see her anthropologist boyfriend on his birthday. She bought him a wooden fetish doll with a Zuni hunter spirit trapped inside with a chain. The spirit’s chain falls off as she leaves the room, releasing “He Who Kills”.
Third Story: Amelia synopsis
Dolls (1987)
A dysfunctional family of three stop by a mansion during a storm — father, stepmother, and child. The child discovers that the elderly owners are magical toy makers and have a haunted collection of dolls.
Film synopsis
Child’s Play (1988)
A struggling single mother unknowingly gifts her son a doll imbued with a serial killer’s consciousness.
Film synopsis
Puppet Master (1989)
Psychics find themselves plotted against by a former colleague, who committed suicide after discovering animated, murderous puppets.
Film synopsis
Dead Silence (2007)
After his wife meets a grisly end, Jamie Ashen returns to his hometown of Ravens Fair to find answers. His investigation leads him to the ghost of a ventriloquist named Mary Shaw who seems to have ties to his entire family tree
Film synopsis
Annabelle (2014)
John Form thinks he’s found the perfect gift for his expectant wife, Mia: a vintage doll in a beautiful white dress. However, the couple’s delight doesn’t last long: One terrible night, devil worshippers invade their home and launch a violent attack against the couple. When the cultists try to summon a demon, they smear a bloody rune on the nursery wall and drip blood on Mia’s doll, thereby turning the former object of beauty into a conduit for ultimate evil.
Film synopsis
Goosebumps (2015)
A teenager teams up with the daughter of young-adult horror author R.L. Stine after the writer’s imaginary demons are set free on the town of Madison, Delaware.
Film synopsis
Robert (2015)
In this chilling story based on real life events a family experience terrifying supernatural occurrences when their son acquires a vintage doll called Robert.
Film synopsis
The Boy (2016)
An American nanny is shocked that her new English family’s boy is actually a life-sized doll. After she violates a list of strict rules, disturbing events make her believe that the doll is really alive.
M3GAN (2023)
A robotics engineer at a toy company builds a life-like doll that begins to take on a life of its own.
Film synopsis
Honorable Mention: Coraline (2009)
Wandering her rambling old house in her boring new town, an 11-year-old Coraline discovers a hidden door to a strangely idealized version of her life. In order to stay in the fantasy, she must make a frighteningly real sacrifice.
Film synopsis