After a married couple loses their young daughter in a freak accident, the wife has a mental breakdown, and she finds comfort in a creepy doll. Then one day she gives birth to a new daughter, and the doll is forgotten, until the day their daughter finds it. Then the family’s new nightmare begins.
I was surprised when one of my favorite movie directors, Shinobu Yaguchi, made a horror movie. The director behind Dollhouse is mostly known for making fun and warm family movies like Waterboys and Swing Girls. But this time, he has taken the step into horror with his first attempt, and the result is pretty good. But there is a but here.
I really enjoyed the atmosphere and the story up until the married couple decides to try to break the curse. And you know what that means, right? That means it is time to copy one of my favorite horror movies of all time, Ring. And that was such a stupid and, at the same time, lazy decision from the director.
The movie is really entertaining and creepy up until the third act. It is not a movie that relies on cheap jump scares. It builds atmosphere and tension, and I did not know if the story would take me to a much darker place than expected, considering who the director is. That uncertainty kept me engaged.
But the last 30 minutes were a huge disappointment because the plot became so familiar and predictable. It feels like the director, who also wrote the script, hit a wall, gave up, and went with the most predictable ending possible. The ending had some potential, even though it would not have offered anything new, and there are a few short scenes that kept me guessing, which is good. Still, it is also a movie that left me with some essential questions that I never felt were answered. So in the end, the script is the weak link here.
If you are a big fan of the director like I am, it is worth watching Dollhouse, since it is a pretty solid horror movie for about an hour before the script starts cracking. It has atmosphere and uncertainty, and the actors are also pretty good, especially one of my favorite Japanese actresses, Masami Nagasawa. Just be prepared to be disappointed toward the end.