I recently watched a movie based on some facts, and rather chilling ones at that, about a nasty little doll named Robert. It came out last year, and is based on a real life artist named Gene Otto. When Gene was a boy, his grandfather brought him a doll from Germany that he became attached to. Too attached to. He brought the doll with him everywhere he went and talked to it as if it were a person. Weird, yes, but not that's not what’s really creepy. When bad things happened, Gene would often blame Robert, which is cute as a kid. When you accuse a doll of doing naughty or bad things as an adult it’s pretty unnerving. People claimed they heard the doll giggling when it was in the attic, heard its footsteps and its facial expression would change when people said bad things about Gene around it. It also liked to watch children when they walked past his room window. It scared the kids ... oh and of course Gene’s wife before she left him.
The movie ran with this in a very interesting way. What I liked about the adaptation was the sheer creepiness of the doll. If you think the real Robert is creepy, you will cringe when you see the movie version. It’s about the size of a toddler and has a twisted face that resembles a cross between a middle aged man and a boy. His personality is just as horrific. He’s very possessive of Gene, and doesn’t have a problem with violently keeping the boy to himself by way of terrible messages, assault and murder. Then there was the music which set a decent gothic mood. They just didn’t have to play it as much.
Now, did the movie measure up as much as its creepy antagonist? Not really. I’m not saying it was terrible, because it was OK. The doll’s face makes up for the weird angles and the way it strikes and kills its victims. Although, the subpar acting of Gene’s parents eventually gets a little better midway through the film. It almost felt like the female lead struggled through the first part, which is kind of slow.
One fan commented on this and said it was more of a drama than a horror movie, which I could see clearly. However it’s far from a criticism on my part. It actually helps the horror infest in the characters in moments of isolation, hopelessness and the periods where they wonder if they’re still sane. Added genres give horror a unique charm, whether it be action, comedy or romance.
Overall, I think I’d give it six out of ten. It definitely needs work, but it’s nothing damning and still watchable since the horror doesn’t take too long to build up. Robert does a great job holding together the movie with his evil. If you have a thing for killer toys or don’t plan on sleeping one night, watch it. It’s posted on Youtube (I wish it was on Netflix).
