Dolly blends inspiration from gritty ’70s horror like The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and The Hills Have Eyes with the New French Extremity movement that yielded the likes of High Tension and Martyrs — and that brutality is reflected in its rating.
The MPA has given the film an R rating for “strong violence, gore, grisly images, language, and some nudity.”
Shot on 16mm film, Dolly opens in theaters on March 6 via Independent Film Company and Shudder.
It centers on Macy, a young woman fighting for survival after being taken by a deranged, monstrous figure intent on raising her as their child.
Fabianne Therese (John Dies at the End), Seann William Scott (American Pie), Ethan Suplee (Mallrats), and pro wrestler Max the Impaler star.
Rod Blackhurst (“Amanda Knox,” Night Swim) directs from a script he co-wrote with Brandon Weavil, based on their 2022 short Babygirl.
Following a successful festival run that included Toronto International Film Festival, Fantastic Fest, Sitges, Telluride Horror Show, and more, a prequel exploring the titular character’s origins and mythology is already in development.
Trace Thurman wrote in his review, “Where Dolly falls short in the script or originality departments it more than makes up for in the technical department, especially in the sound design and the practical gore effects. Every fleshy squelch and bone crack is not only heard, but felt, making the violence hit when it needs to.”