When it comes to horror movies, few props insinuate themselves into our nightmares quite like the seemingly innocuous toy. One minute, it’s a nostalgic reminder of simpler times; the next, it’s a ruthless killer intent on destruction. Even the most unflappable among us can be frightened by a jack-in-the-box or a porcelain doll, and this might be because toys, in their silent, static state, resemble the unsettling stillness of a predator laying in wait.
Whatever the reason, filmmakers have shamelessly taken advantage of this paradox to create cinematic magic. Isn’t it just the perfect touch of macabre to have the very objects that once soothed us in our cradles now stalk us in our nightmares? So, the next time you accidentally uncover that long-lost teddy bear in the attic, give it a respectful nod of recognition. After all, it could be patiently waiting for its moment in the spotlight, just like these toys with bone-chilling agendas did.
Chucky from the Child’s Play franchise
If ever there was a toy to make us question our childhood affections, it’s the devilish doll from the Child’s Play franchise. On the surface, he’s just another Good Guy doll—a beacon of ’80s nostalgia in bright overalls. But beneath that cherubic exterior lurks the soul of Charles Lee Ray, a serial killer with a penchant for voodoo and vendettas.
In the cold, hard daylight, Chucky stands out from the crowd, red hair blazing, armed with wit as sharp as his knife. His ability to make jokes and kill with equal glee has made him a symbol of toy terror. And let’s face it, there’s something especially unnerving about being hunted down by something that could be, in less demonic circumstances, a cuddle buddy.
Annabelle doll from The Conjuring
Now here’s a doll that’ll make you think twice about browsing antique shops on a lazy Sunday afternoon. Hailing from The Conjuring universe, Annabelle is not your average plaything. While most dolls are content with tea parties, Annabelle has loftier ambitions—like terrorizing households and holding midnight rendezvous in the supernatural realm.
What makes this doll particularly spine-tingling? It might be her demure, porcelain facade, which masks an ancient malevolence. Or it’s the real-life lore surrounding her, which lends more authenticity to her eerie escapades than we’d care to admit. While Chucky jests and jabs, Annabelle is all business, with an unsettling stillness that suggests secrets best left unspoken.
Billy from Dead Silence
Billy, the ventriloquist’s dummy from James Wan’s Dead Silence, decidedly did not sign up for comic relief or joyous entertainment. With an arched eyebrow and a sardonic half-smile, he seems perpetually on the brink of divulging a dreadful secret—or cracking a dark joke at your expense.
While some horror toys may be openly demonic or unsettlingly animated, Billy’s dread rests in his stark, immobile appearance combined with Mary Shaw’s creepy legend. Billy may not have the mobility of some of his horror toy contemporaries, but who needs to run when you can haunt with such refined stillness?
Blade from the Puppet Master Series
With an appearance that seems to combine Edward Scissorhands with Victorian goth and a sprinkle of film noir, Blade from the Puppet Master movies ensures he’s not quickly forgotten. It’s not often that you run into a puppet with such impeccable style and a very sharp tongue. Other toys in horror lore inspire fear with their possessed spirits or ghostly origins, Blade wields tangible, cold steel, giving new meaning to the term “playtime.”
Moreover, Blade’s diminutive stature, paired with his lethal efficiency, is a refreshing twist. He’s proof that terror doesn’t always come in oversized packages; sometimes, the scariest surprises can be hiding in plain sight in a toy box until just the right moment.
The music box from The Conjuring
One might argue that a music box is an instrument of nostalgia more than a nightmare machine. However, in the hands of horror experts, even the pleasant sounds of a box can become a foreboding introduction to supernatural evil. Instead of music, it’s the music box’s mirror that makes it stand out in The Conjuring, inviting viewers to engage in a game of paranormal peek-a-boo.
Other horror toys put their evil on a silver (or, in some cases, bloody) platter, but the music box is more subtle. It piques the beholder’s interest, lulling them into a false sense of security with its glittering melody—until the ethereal apparition comes.
Clown doll from Poltergeist
The clown doll from Poltergeist effectively quashes any lingering affection one might have for circus-themed merriment. This isn’t your average, balloon-twisting, jovial jester. Its flashy grin and overly enthusiastic hugging tendencies are enough to make anyone develop a swift case of coulrophobia.
Now, as a genre, clowns already tiptoe on the tightrope of delightful and demented, but our Poltergeist pal takes it to a new level. There’s a certain audacity to its terror that asks, “Why merely lurk in the shadows when one can hide in plain sight, right under your bed?” This cheeky yet chilling approach solidifies its place in the horror hall of fame.
Lament Configuration from Hellraiser
The Lament Configuration from Hellraiser—truly a Rubik’s Cube from the ninth circle of Hell—is an express ticket to a dimension of exquisite pain and pleasure, courtesy of Pinhead and his leather-clad friends, the Cenobites. This geometric nightmare invites you in with the promise of mystery, only to unleash a world of torment.
It’s the epitome of “looks can be deceiving.” The box itself serves as a symbol of temptation, of the dangers of unchecked curiosity, and of the thin line between pleasure and torment. Its intricate design, which beckons users to solve its riddle, starkly contrasts the horror it unleashes.
Billy the puppet from the Saw franchise
A few years before Dead Silence, James Wan introduced another creepy puppet named Billy in Saw. Riding in on his tricycle, he’s the toy you never asked for but got anyway, complete with a sinister, spiral-cheeked grin and a voice that will make you press mute whenever he comes on screen. Billy, with his jaunty bowtie, opts for psychological warfare. It’s less about what he can do physically and more about the harrowing messages he delivers—little invitations to games you’d rather not attend.
Unlike other monstrous playthings, Billy doesn’t need to chase you; he merely introduces the nightmare and lets human nature run its course, reminding us of a more profound internal terror—the choices we make under duress.
Toy Phone from Skinamarink
The Fisher-Price phone toy in Skinamarink is a perfect example of how the seemingly harmless may turn sinister in the context of a horror film. The usually reassuring visage of the toy phone shifts, its eyes glowing ominously in the dark.
The film deftly plays on our natural aversion to change by making the toy phone a metaphor for tainted childhood innocence. Its camcorder-esque grain and strong blue/red tones further amplify the eeriness. So, next time your old toy phone rings, you might want to think twice before answering. After all, as Skinamarink shows us, even the most benign objects can harbor a dial tone of dread.
Jack-in-the-box from Demonic Toys
Frankly, there’s something inherently frightening about a box that springs forth a surprise. But when that surprise is less “delightful jester” and more “hellish harlequin,” well, you’ve got yourself a recipe for sleepless nights.
The terrible anticipation embodied by our spring-loaded plaything from Demonic Toys is what makes him exceptionally terrifying. It’s a game of unsettling anticipation in which the fear isn’t only in the reveal but also in the tortuous journey to it. His is a promise of impending doom housed in a seemingly harmless box.
(featured image: Universal Pictures / MGM / Shudder / New World Pictures)
Published: Oct 25, 2023 12:15 pm