With the advent of movies such as Annabelle: The Creation, and Chucky, dolls have earned their place in the horror genre. Even the dolls in Clemenceau’s Daughter by Rocky Porch Moore have added to the dark, ominous feel of the book, acting as though they were spying on you with those wide eyes of theirs, hungering for your mind, body, and soul. With descriptions such as these, I’d probably stay as far away as I can from a toy store filled with dolls. 

While they do have an iconic mark on horror, just what makes dolls so frightening? Why is it that artists and writers use dolls, whether it be for a mass murder, or psychological horror? Why are people attracted to these dolls, even though they shudder at the very thought of them nearby?

Eternal beauty

One haunting aspect that dolls possess is their almost ethereal beauty, as though it were a permanent mutation on their otherwise perfect bodies. There’s something about their porcelain skin, no blemish in sight, their pretty dresses flowing lovingly from their tiny bodies, the way their curls caress their cheeks; it’s no wonder almost every “normal” girl would like to have one, or even become one. In fact, this beauty was the subject of a game, Mad Father, where the father wanted to murder his daughter in order to recreate her as a doll to preserve her beauty. In a way, it’s like the beautiful scenery in a Gothic horror, or a false friendship, if only to guide you into a fatal trap.

Bittersweet Past 

Like any other childhood plaything, dolls were made to represent childhood innocence. When you’re a child, you feel like you can do anything, be anyone. Your imagination isn’t ruined by society or any expectations of adulthood. This can be tied to the fact that dolls are present in that childhood. They see everything, even the tragedies that you’ve always wanted to hide. After all, there’s something to be said about a broken doll as well, especially if it’s from a broken home. It’s something horror writers enjoy twisting, either ruining our childhood memories, or reminding us of them.

Dissonant Smiles

Because of these reminders, dolls can bring a disturbing dissonance into a scene, especially if it’s sitting in a room full of of corpses or torture machines. Like with the Glasgow smile, we recognize they aren’t supposed to be there. We aren’t supposed to see dolls demonically possessed, or chopping people up, or even moving anywhere at all, at least without something attached to it. But even then, we’ve seen enough of the horrors attached to them, so we follow the only instinct in our minds: run.

Dolls have a special place in the hearts of horror fans. From the inaudible gasps of the Annabelle doll, to even the sad, forgotten reminiscence of a Barbie left behind by adulthood, the results are the same. Whether it be tragedy, drama, or horror, dolls have been used to convey such bittersweet emotions for the longest time. This is one of the reasons why dolls are so popular in horror.