‘Rag Doll’ VOD Review
Stars: Chrissie Wunna, Danielle Scott, Ruby Wunna, Junior Wunna, Benjamin Schnau, Wayne Dobson, Connor Powles, Kelly Rian Sanson, N Walters | Written by Ben Daly | Directed by Ben Ivory
The debut feature from director Ben Ivory, Rag Doll comes from the pen of another Ben, Ben Daly – who previously wrote such British genre fare as Toothfairy: Queen of Pain and it sequel Toothfairy 5, as well as Return of Krampus – Rag Doll is seemingly equal parts inspired by Child’s Play, Annabelle and by M3gan (the latter mainly because this killer doll is so huge). The film is also somewhat of a Wunna family affair, with British scream Queen and model Chrissie Wunna starring as Chia, one half of a lesbian couple – the other half being another Brit horror veteran, Danielle Scott – moving into a new home with her child, Crystal, played by Wunna’s real-life daughter Ruby. Meanwhile, Wunna’s son Junior plays the titular killer doll.
Speaking of family, there’s obvious on-screen tension between Crystal and her mum’s new lover, Monica, but the relationship between mother and daughter is tense too, due to the fact that Crystal resents Chia leaving her husband, Dom (Schnau), for a woman. Plus, reading between the lines, it seems the pair have started the relationship AND moved in together too quickly for Crystal’s liking too. The tension is exacerbated by the appearance of a creepy rag doll that was left behind in their new family home – and, of course, Chia thinks it would make a great gift for Crystal. Yeah, if she wanted her daughter dead, maybe!
It’s not just her two mothers Crystal has issues with; she gives the cold shoulder to the gay couple Chia invites over for an evening meal too – and it’s that hateful, resent-filled attitude that seemingly brings the doll back to life and eventually unleashes it on a killing spree. A resentment that, after we see him for the first time, stems from her father’s bitterness and hatred for his ex-wife. I guess he feels less of a man now that his wife left him for a woman? You have to credit Benjamin Schnau for really capturing toxic masculinity in his brief appearance here.
Bizarrely, like Jack and Jill 3, which opened with Wunna engaged in sapphic activity before we got into the core of that film, we get the same here. Is this a contractual thing with Wunna? Have her partake in lesbian love scenes in all her films? Thankfully, this time round, she’s not killed mid-lovemaking, instead the doll merely watches – observing the situation and apparently keeping a close eye on anything that upsets its new friend, Crystal. Like with Chucky in Child’s Play, things escalate and the doll goes from protector to mass murderer the longer it’s “connected” to Crystal and her unhappy attitude. Shame it doesn’t kill Crystal TBH. But then the film would probably be over before it begins – and it’s already short at under 80 minutes!
In terms of kills, the doll is a proponent of using the usual sharp, stubby implements of death – a knife through a chest, a knife plunged into a head – as well as the old-school “throw someone down the stairs” seen in a myriad of killer-kid-esque horror films. The kind of kills that can be done on an ultra-low budget. Because this film is low budget, literally filmed in one location, the interior of a house. A house which I’m sure I’ve seen before in numerous British genre movies?!
To give the film some credit, the film’s final moments, as Wunna’s Chia is exposed to what the doll has done and the deaths it has caused – is a chaotic, insane sequence which ends the movie with a nasty twist that, in my opinion, is karma for one character’s behaviour throughout the film!
As is horror’s wont, there is more to Rag Doll than what’s on the surface. Of course you can enjoy this as a killer doll movie like many that have come before it, but it does feel, at times, like this entire movie is a metaphor for the ever-changing landscape of relationships, gender identity, what it means to be a “family” etc., and how we accept that and move forward or don’t and face the consequences (the consequences in this case getting killed by a rag doll but probably not in real life, eh?)
** 2/5
Rag Doll is available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime now.
