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There’s just something inherently creepy about dolls, and filmmakers have had a lot of fun over the decades crafting horror stories around that creepiness. Audiences clearly love to see it, otherwise there wouldn’t be so many creepy / killer doll movies out there. So to celebrate this sub-genre, we decided to put together a list of some of the all-time best killer dolls. Not killer doll movies, but specific dolls. Here is our list of the Top 10 Killer Dolls!

Annabelle (The Conjuring Universe)

This is a “damned if you do, damned if you don’t” list entry if there ever was one. If we don’t include Annabelle – who scared people so badly in the opening scene of The Conjuring, she got her own spinoff franchise – there will be a lot of fans asking, “How could you leave Annabelle off a top 10 doll list?” If we do include her,...

For someone who only started directing 10 years ago, Osgood Perkins has done incredibly well for himself. Longlegs was one of the best movies of 2024 and in 2025, the actor-filmmaker is once again ruling the world with The Monkey. The film has been received well by critics and is set to push the collective gross for Stephen King adaptations past the 3 billion dollar mark. But Perkins’ brilliance shouldn’t come as a surprise. The horror gene has always been in his family. His dad, Anthony Perkins, will forever be appreciated for his performance in Psycho.

The Monkey, adapted from King's 1980 short story of the same name, follows twin brothers Hal and Bill Shelburn (both portrayed by Theo James) whose lives are changed forever when they chance upon their father's old toy monkey in the attic. Little do they know that it has dark powers. Whenever it beats its drums, someone ends up dead.

The 1990s were a golden era for the erotic thriller genre, producing films that masterfully blended sensuality with suspense. This decade saw the rise of provocative storytelling that delved deep into the complexities of human desire and power dynamics. If you loved the intricate power dynamics and steamy encounters in Babygirl, you’ll find plenty to enjoy in these seven 1990s Erotic Thrillers. Each explores themes of desire, control, and the dangerous intersections of love and power, making them perfect watches for fans of Babygirl. Whether you’re drawn to the psychological tension of Basic Instinct or the atmospheric intrigue of Eyes Wide Shut, these films capture the essence of what made the 90s such a thrilling time for cinema.

1. Eyes Wide Shut (1999)

Stanley Kubrick’s Eyes Wide Shut is a mesmerizing exploration of desire and secrecy. The film follows Dr. William Harford (Tom Cruise) as he navigates a clandestine...

Many fans were excited about seeing Jennifer Tilly on the explosive Season 14 of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, as a friend of the Housewives. But as it turned out, many viewers had no idea who she was. Some didn't even get why she had a Tiffany Valentine A.K.A. Bride of Chucky doll in her living room...

Jennifer—who's been friends with Sutton Stracke for over a decade—is not just the voice for Tiffany in the Chucky franchise. She's explored and excelled in several other fields. She's gotten an Oscar nomination, done Broadway, and even became a professional poker player. Here's a timeline of her colorful career before reality TV.

Jennifer Tilly's Breakout Film Bullets Over Broadway Earned Her An Oscar Nomination

In 1994, Jennifer Tilly starred in Woody Allen's dark comedy, Bullets over Broadway. She played the role of Olive, for which she was nominated for the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress.

When treading on the heels of a specific group or a community with an intense, ingrained lifestyle, photojournalism is the most unpredictable, unvarnished medium. There’s no telling how the said group will corroborate or contradict the preconceived and often stereotypical lore around them. Just like there’s no predicting the outcome and the personal implications of a band of people giving almost the entirety of themselves over to something volatile and flighty. This vulnerable rawness of the Outlaws Motorcycle Club was first captured by Danny Lyon in his photo-book that documented their greaser lifestyle between 1965 and 1973. Nicknamed the Vandals in Jeff Nichols’ The Bikeriders, the flock of self-deceiving rule-followers seeking freedom from the American dream bare their most melancholic softness to us practically inadvertently.

Spoiler Alert

What happens in the film?

Mike Faist’s Danny has found the perfect person to interview in Jodie Comer’s Kathy. When Kathy got on Benny’s Harley,...

Corky Lee used his camera to shine a light on communities often left in the shadows of history. As a Chinese American photographer born in 1947 in New York, he documented the lives and struggles of Asian Americans across five decades, determined to ensure their stories were seen and heard. Photographic Justice tells the epic tale of Lee’s lifelong crusade, following his inspiring journey from earnest amateur to renowned advocate through archive footage and intimate interviews.

Directed by Jennifer Takaki over 18 years, the film offers a uniquely intimate portrait of what drove Lee to dedicate his life to amplifying overlooked voices. More than just a recounting of one man’s career, it serves as an impactful reminder of how personal stories, when shared, can help shape broader cultural understandings. From witnessing police brutality in his neighborhood in the 1970s to revising omissions in historical images decades later, Lee relentlessly used...

Gina Gershon's agency dropped her for doing the movie Bound in 1996. Gershon was attracted to the script and The Wachowskis as directors. Bound was groundbreaking for its time, portraying LGBTQ+ characters as real people.

Gina Gershon has been known to take on some pretty risqu roles in Hollywood, and perhaps none are more infamous than her role as Corky in the 1996 neo-noir thriller, Bound. However, if it were up to her agents, Gershon wouldnt have done the movie at all, and in a new interview the 62-year-old star says that because she accepted the part, her agency dropped her as a result. Gershon played the lesbian ex-con in Bound alongside Jennifer Tilly and Joe Pantoliano in what was The Wachowskis' debut movie, which grossed just $7 million at the box office against a budget of $6 million.

Appearing on the It Happened in Hollywood podcast with her co-star, Jennifer Tilly, Gina...

Actress Gina Gershon recently shared a revealing glimpse into the challenges she faced early in her career when she decided to take on the role of Corky in the 1996 film “Bound.” Speaking on the “It Happened in Hollywood” podcast, Gershon recounted how her agents at the time strongly advised against her playing a lesbian character, warning that it could potentially ruin her career.

“My agents were like, ‘We will not let you do this movie. You are ruining your career. We will not be able to let you represent. You will never work again,'” Gershon recalled. The pushback came shortly after her performance in Paul Verhoeven’s controversial film “Showgirls” (1995), with her representation concerned about the potential risks of taking on another provocative role.

Despite the pressure, Gershon stood firm in her decision to participate in “Bound,” recognizing the quality of the script and the talent of first-time directors Lana and Lilly Wachowski.

Gina Gershon took a major risk early in her career to work with talented first-time directors, the Wachowskis.

The actress recalled that her agents nearly blocked her from taking on the lead role in the 1996 sapphic noir cult classic Bound as she reunited with co-star Jennifer Tilly to discuss the movie.

“It was a great script and I could tell they were incredible directors, but my agents were like, ‘We will not let you do this movie. You are ruining your career. We will not be able to let you represent. You will never work again,'” she said on the It Happened In Hollywood podcast. “All that stuff.”

“I just said, ‘Oh, well, I guess if you can’t represent me, I’ll go somewhere else.’ You know? No hard feelings,” added Gershon.

She explained that her agency didn’t want her taking on a queer role at the...

Gina Gershon starred in the Wachowskis' first film as directors, the erotic neo-noir thriller Bound, which was recently added to the Criterion Collection. Gershon says she still regrets having missed out on the role of Trinity to Carrie-Anne Moss, saying she thought she was already cast for the part. Gershon's career continued regardless with some good action movies. The Matrix IP continues with Drew Goddard set to direct the next installment.

Lana and Lilly Wachowski are primarily known for directing The Matrix trilogy (Lana alone directed The Matrix Resurrections), but that wasn't their first film. In 1996, they wrote and directed the erotic thriller Bound. Starring Jennifer Tilly and Gina Gershon, the film was recently included in the hallowed Criterion Collection and given a re-release. Of course, Bound was a micro-budget thriller and entirely different from the mind-bending film they'd follow it with, save for one aspect. Joe Pantoliano is in both films,...

Gina Gershon recently said on the “It Happened in Hollywood” podcast (via People) that she was warned against starring in 1996’s “Bound” by her agents because the role was a lesbian character. The actor remembered her agents telling her specifically that she “can’t play a lesbian” because it would tank her Hollywood career.

“It was a great script and I could tell they were incredible directors, but my agents were like, ‘We will not let you do this movie. You are ruining your career,'” Gershon said. “‘We will not be able to let you represent. You will never work again.'”

“I just said, ‘Oh, well, I guess if you can’t represent me, I’ll go somewhere else.’ You know? No hard feelings,” Gershon continued, noting that she fully believed in the script written by the Wachowskis. “I said, first of all, it’s so shortsighted to say,...

You can add Gina Gershon and “The Matrix” to your list of cinema’s all-time worst missed connections.

During a recent interview for the Criterion Collection’s DVD re-release of Lilly and Lana Wachowskis’ debut feature “Bound,” Gershon told IndieWire that she was still bothered by the fact that she was not asked by her former directors to star opposite Keanu Reeves in their sci-fi masterpiece about a robot apocalypse from 1999.

“It’s hard, because I really wanted to play that part, and I thought I was going to, and then they ended up casting Carrie-Anne [Moss]. So I don’t think I could be completely objective,” Gershon said. “I still see myself in that part. Listen, she did a wonderful job, and I think I understand why they cast her, but I always thought I was going to play Trinity.”

The topic came up in a roundabout way when...

Fresh off the seam-bursting unsexiness of “Showgirls,” Gina Gershon had a decision to make.

The then 30-something actress, still a relative newcomer in Hollywood, stood out as a star in Paul Verhoeven’s 1995 disaster-piece despite its infamously shoddy production. The next role Gershon chose would be critical to shaping the rest of her career. And while partnering with the siblings Wachowski on their debut feature was a good instinct even before “The Matrix,” the eventual “Bound” star was discouraged from making her breakout performance that of a lesbian plumber named Corky.

“I was literally told that I was ruining my career and I could not do this movie, which really made me mad,” Gershon told IndieWire in an interview celebrating the film’s DVD rerelease for The Criterion Collection. “I just thought it was so stupid. I already wanted to do the movie, but it made me want to do it even more,...

Gina Gershon’s body of work boasts a murderer’s row of formidable directors. Following her debut in John Hughes’s Pretty in Pink, she went on to appear in films by John Sayles, Robert Altman, John Woo, Michael Mann, Olivier Assayas, William Friedkin, and Woody Allen. Yet it’s two fateful collaborations in consecutive years—Paul Verhoeven on 1995’s Showgirls and the Wachowskis on 1996’s Bound—that loom largest over her filmography.

As Corky in Bound, Gershon displays a fierce commitment to the physical and emotional realism of a lesbian ex-con trying to restart her life, seamlessly transmuting the brooding of a classic noir protagonist into the body of a contemporary butch plumber. This makes it all the easier to understand how she’d fall for a traditional femme fatale like Jennifer Tilly’s Violet.

The erotic and ecstatic chemistry between the two escalates into an elaborate heist plot...

Editor’s note: This review was originally published September 1, 2023 after the film’s world premiere at the Telluride Film Festival. The movie was originally to be released in December 2023 by 20th Century Studios before being derailed by the Hollywood strikes. Focus Features is now distributing and released it in theaters Friday.

Biker movies are almost a subgenre of films unto themselves, beginning with Marlon Brando’s The Wild One in the early ’50s and then through all those Aip exploitation titles of the ’60s including The Wild Angels, Hells Angels on Wheels and many more, notably Tom Laughlin’s predecessor to Billy Jack called Born Losers. It all culminated with Easy Rider with Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper and Jack Nicholson, which became the Citizen Kane of biker cinema.

It has been awhile since we have seen a major big-screen return to the world of biker culture, but with Jeff Nichols’ The Bikeriders,...

Bound is a fresh take on film noir with a feminist twist, redefining genre cliches. Unlike many noir films, Bound highlights queer women without catering to the male gaze, promoting sex-positivity. Bound challenges traditional masculinity, serving as a deconstruction of patriarchal values in film noir.

Few filmmakers have had a career more interesting than Lilly and Lana Wachowski. Heavily inspired by Eastern cinema and adult animation, this creative team is known for their idiosyncratic output. The duo put themselves on the map with The Matrix, an auteurist masterpiece that redefined the sci-fi genre. Blending cyberpunk dystopia alongside anime influences, the film became a cultural touchstone thanks to its stylized action and philosophical ideas. The Wachowskis are bold visionaries, with their subsequent films finding cult success in recent years. Queer cinephiles tend to especially resonate with how these directors explore themes of identity and gender roles. However, few tend to discuss The Watchowskis' directorial debut,...

Jeff Nichols' crime drama The Bikeriders features a stacked cast of recognizable stars. The three leads of the movie are Jodie Comer, Austin Butler, and Tom Hardy. The Bikeriders ensemble cast also includes Michael Shannon and Mike Faist.

The cast of The Bikeriders is full of recognizable stars. The 2024 movie comes from writer-director Jeff Nichols, whose previous work includes the Matthew McConaughey-led Mud and the Oscar-nominated Loving, starring Joel Edgerton and Ruth Negga. The movie, which follows the fictional Chicago-based Vandals motorcycle club in the 1960s, is loosely based on the 1967 photobook by Danny Lyon. The real-life motorcycle club depicted in the book was called Outlaws Mc and was founded in McCook, Illinois.

The $40 million crime movie comes with a cast packed with A-list talent, including a trio of leads that have two Oscar nominations and an Emmy win between them. However, the ensemble cast is nearly as recognizable...

Bound will release on 4K and Blu-ray in the Criterion Collection on June 18th, 2024.

A mere three years before they changed the cinematic landscape forever with The Matrix, Lana and Lilly Wachowski delivered a bare-bones, neo-noir thriller overflowing with tension and sensuality. In their feature directorial debut, the sibling filmmakers showcased their talents with a grounded thriller set primarily within the confines of a single apartment building.

Bound Plot

Corky (Gina Gershon) finds herself drawn to Violet (Jennifer Tilly), the woman living down the hall of their shared apartment complex. However, things are complicated when its learned that Violet is married to Caesar (Joe Pantoliano), a mobster with violent tendencies. When the two women make the decision to steal money from the mob and start a new life together, things begin to unravel and nothing goes according to plan.

The Critique

Jennifer Tilly (left) and Gina Gershon (right) in the...

Lana and Lilly Wachowski’s Bound, their low-budget neo-noir debut feature from 1996, is both an outlier in a filmography subsequently defined by high-concept science fiction and an ur-text for the filmmakers’ overriding interest in the power of erotic and romantic love to liberate people.

The film concerns a plot by Violet (Jennifer Tilly), the moll of a mafia money launderer named Caesar (Joe Pantoliano), to run out on her man with enough of his filthy lucre to set herself up for life. To do so, she woos Corky (Gina Gershon), her apartment complex’s handywoman and an ex-con, to act as her accomplice. But rather than simply use the woman as a patsy, Violet betrays more and more genuine interest in Corky, and the two grow ever closer as Caesar starts to piece together their scheme and things go increasingly awry.

There are two ways in which the Wachowskis immediately...

Clockwise from top left: Thelma And Louise (MGM), Chicago (Miramax), The Handmaiden (Cj Entertainment), and Ocean’s 8 (Warner Bros.)Graphic: The A.V. Club

The trailers for the upcoming films Drive-Away Dolls (opening February 23) and Love Lies Bleeding (opening March 8) have us thinking about all the badass women who have...

Season 2 of Night Court welcomes back original characters the Wheelers, who appeared in six episodes of the original Night Court. Brent Spiner and Annie O'Donnell will reprise their roles as the unlucky couple Bob and June Wheeler.

Night Court season 2 will continue an established trend, welcoming back memorable original characters. NBC's revival of the popular 1980s sitcom ended season 1 with Warfield reprising her role as Rosalind "Roz" Russell from the original Night Court. Warfield's return continued into the Night Court season 2, with Roz and Dan (John Larroquette) bonding after years apart over their mutual bewilderment of Judge Abby Stone (Melissa Rauch).

Speaking at the Television Critics Association’s Winter 2024 press tour where Screen Rant was in attendance, showrunner Dan Rubin revealed that Brent Spiner and Annie O’Donnell will reprise their roles as the couple Bob and June Wheeler for Night Court season 2. In the original, Bob and June appeared in six episodes overall.

Andrea Fay Friedman, an actor with Down Syndrome who appeared in drama television series “Life Goes On” and Joseph Travolta’s family drama “Carol of the Bells,” died Sunday in Santa Monica from complications due to Alzheimer’s. She was 53.

Friedman contributed to much-needed representation for individuals with Down Syndrome in the world of entertainment. One of her well-known roles was in “Life Goes On” as Amanda Swanson, the girlfriend of Charles “Corky” Thacher (Chris Burke), who later become Corky’s wife on the show. Throughout her life, the actor also appeared in several television series, including “Baywatch,” “Chicago Hope,” “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” “ER,” “The Division” and “Saving Grace,” establishing her presence in an industry where inclusion was often rare. She was also the subject of the 2009 documentary “A Possible Dream: The Andrea Friedman Story.”

In 2010, Friedman showed her ability to tackle controversy with grace after voicing a character with Down syndrome,...

The horror genre and its directors may have endured the most clashes with the Motion Picture Association and the world's other regulatory boards, but Wes Craven, Tobe Hooper, Ruggero Deodato, and a dozen other horror filmmakers are not the only ones. Numerous directors across action, drama, and even comedy have adjusted their content for release, and often at the perilous threshold between R and Nc-17.

This distinction is particularly important because some theater chains refuse to show Nc-17-certified films and several media outlets even refuse to run ads (via NPR). It's an odd streak of puritanism not found in other markets, such as the United Kingdom, where the equivalent "18" rating carries no such stigma.

R ratings can be very lucrative, but only one example — the disturbing, incendiary "Joker" — has ever made over $1 billion, which places it toward the bottom of the top 50 highest-grossing films — a space dominated by...

London film festival Jodie Comer, Austin Butler and Tom Hardy are magnetic in this power struggle-cum-love triangle inspired by Danny Lyon’s 1968 photographic study of Chicago bikers

Jeff Nichols’s motorcycle movie is about a love triangle and a succession crisis – inspired by the immersive 1968 study of Chicago bikers by photojournalist Danny Lyon, whose black-and-white pictures flash up with the closing credits. This film opens up the storytelling throttle with a throaty growl, delivering the doomy romance of an old-fashioned western and the thrills of a mob drama.

The Bikeriders is set in a world in which the increasingly careworn gang leader competes for the affection of his toughest follower with this man’s girlfriend, while at the same time grooming him as his heir. Yet this is a group where the biker king – whatever his plans for a dauphin – can be challenged for the crown by any subordinate according...

Some films merely offer you a clockwork plot. Others, like Jeff Nichols’ smokin’ cool “The Bikeriders,” whisk you away with a roar of mood and atmosphere.

That’s no surprise coming from the versatile director of “Mud,” “Loving” and “Midnight Special,” all seemingly different (but equally wondrous) films with one common denominator: a precise, wistful sense of place and tone. As soon as we spot Austin Butler on a bar stool sporting a badass Vandals Chicago jacket on his back, that exacting disposition is evident here, too. With appealingly greased and molded hair, Butler looks like he just stepped away from the “Elvis” set for a swift cigarette break, wearing the invincible aura of a movie star like it’s his second skin. Vandals is the name of the motorbike clique Butler’s terse Benny is a part of. And to get him to take that jacket off—like a...

Jeff Nichols’ filmography is still young, and still showing no signs of settling in to a stylistic signature — or rut. Through such distinctive features as Take Shelter, Loving, Midnight Special and Mud, the writer-helmer has, though, established a certain directorial integrity. Valuing mood and gesture over plot or formula, his stories are propelled by an openhearted but unsentimental tenderness toward his characters, and invigorated by electrifying grace notes.

With his latest offering, the gloves, at first, seem to be off. The Bikeriders is set within a testosterone-fueled counterculture where brute stupidity frequently prevails, and many viewers will find its violence and code-of-honor brotherhood distancing, or at least familiar movie territory. But what resonates beyond the brawls and blood is a profound affection for the people onscreen — those grace notes provided by a fine cast, with Jodie Comer and Tom Hardy stirring undercurrents that are particularly affecting precisely because they’re never explicitly examined or explained.

The phrase “they don’t make them like they used to” is thrown around a lot in the context of nostalgia, but in the case of the first teaser for Magic, it’s quite accurate. Imagine sitting around the TV with your family and seeing this commercial pop up on screen back in the 1970s. The simple but terrifying ad didn’t give away much about the actual plot, but it did instill a lot of traumatic nightmares for any young viewers that happened to catch it. The TV spot was so effective that it’s arguably scarier than the actual film; it wasn’t the straightforward horror story the teaser indicated but much more a psychological thriller. Released 45 years ago on November 8, 1978, Magic is an underappreciated classic and one of horror’s most unnerving love stories.

Written by William Goldman, and adapted from the novel he also wrote, Magic...

There is no name more synonymous with the mockumentary style than Christopher Guest. He was the director who shot the genre into the public eye.

His first film, Waiting for Guffman, was groundbreaking in its intention and a light-hearted look at small-town life and the strange world of local theater. It remains his best.

Who Is Christopher Guest?

Christopher Guest is the leader of an informal troupe of actors whose focus is long-form, character-based improvisation. Guest himself has been involved in this type of acting since starring in director Rob Reiner’s 1984 opus This Is Spinal Tap. Guest played Nigel Tufnel opposite soon-to-be long-time collaborators Michael McKean and Harry Shearer. The three portrayed 1980s British rock stars whose careers have not been going according to plan.

Related: Christopher Guest: Every Great Mockumentary, Ranked

The film had a basic script but was largely improvised by the three main actors. Their goal...

Warning: Contains spoilers for Stargirl: The Lost Children #6!DC Comics now officially has its own version of Rocket Raccoon–with a genius twist. A member of the Guardians of the Galaxy, Rocket is one of comics’ most unusual characters: an anthropomorphic, wise-cracking, gun-toting raccoon. There are very few characters like him, but in Stargirl: The Lost Children #6, DC introduces its equivalent, adding some interesting layers along the way.

The issue is written by Geoff Johns, drawn by Todd Nauck, colored by Matt Herms and lettered by Rob Leigh. Stargirl is stranded on a mysterious island, one inhabited by time-lost sidekicks, who have been plucked from the time stream by the Childminder–which has effectively erased them from history. Now, Stargirl must get the lost sidekicks back to our reality. Joining her is Corky Baxter, a Junior Time Master. The Childminder, working with a corrupted version of the android Hourman, begins aging Stargirl,...

Progressive for its time for being the first TV series to feature a main character, Corky, with Down syndrome, '90s TV series Life Goes On had a top-notch cast, but what have the actors been up to since the show went off the air? Premiering in September 1989, Life Goes On follows the day-to-day lives of the Thatcher family as they struggle with the regular hardships of life in suburban Chicago. Beloved for its mix of relatable humor and gripping dramatic storylines, Life Goes On wasn't afraid to touch on hot-button topics, and it was the predecessor to modern shows like This Is Us.

The character of Corky (Chris Burke) was a major step forward for representation in television because the character had Down syndrome and was played by an actor who actually has the genetic disorder. Though the series eventually shifted focus from Corky to other characters, the rich...

Bobbi Kelly Ercoline, the blanketed woman who was featured with her then-boyfriend and later husband on the cover of Woodstock’s 1970 soundtrack album, died Saturday.

Nick Ercoline, her husband of 54 years, confirmed her death on Facebook. “She lived her life well, and left this world in a much better place. If you knew her, you loved her. She lived by her saying, ‘Be kind,'” he wrote. Ercoline added, “She didn’t deserve this past years nightmare, but she isn’t suffering from the physical pain anymore and that brings some comfort to us.

Update, Writethru: Netflix’s epic period series The Crown leads the BAFTA TV Awards nominations with five, receiving four mentions in the acting categories and one for Best Drama Series this morning. That showing was largely expected. But in a surprise today, the BBC’s Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning adaptation of John Le Carré’s The Night Manager was a near shut-out. It squeaked in one nomination, for Tom Hollander’s creepy-yet-tragic factotum Corky, in Best Supporting Actor. The series does have six BAFTA Craft Awards nominations, but many expected more love for the Tom Hiddleston/Hugh Laurie/Olivia Colman-starrer. BAFTA favorite Colman did pick up a mention this morning, however, as Best Actress in a Comedy for BBC Three’s Fleabag.

For The Crown, Claire Foy was nominated in Leading Actress, Vanessa Kirby in Supporting Actress and John Lithgow and Jared Harris in Supporting Actor. Joining the series...