Top 10 Scary Movie Dolls

Ventriloquist dummies are unsettling, especially in the movies. “Dead Silence” is filled with them, but Billy is arguably the creepiest. Like his owner, Billy has a penchant for ripping out tongues – so whatever you do, don’t scream around him. And he is only too happy to help his owner create lots of new dolls – from very human materials.

Kids who grew up in the 1970s had nightmares about the Zuni doll from “Trilogy of Terror.” A fetish doll possessed by an evil spirit, it stabs with a knife, gnashes its teeth and attacks Karen Black relentlessly – not an unusual reaction to the actress, but still… Drowning it doesn’t work, and baking backfires: seems inhaling the smoke of a burning evil Zuni doll kind of turns you into an evil Zuni doll.

Spirit possession is rampant in “Dolly Dearest,” too. This time, though, it’s an ancient Mayan spirit that’s bent on using dolls to corrupt children. Dolly Dearest is one creepy plaything; she may have a tinny little voice, but the message it conveys is one of pure evil.

Movie ventriloquists are almost always portrayed as somewhat deranged, and “Magic”’s Corky is no exception. Played by Anthony Hopkins, he’s a magician with a foul-mouthed and controlling dummy named Fats. Fats isn’t possessed or spookily alive – he’s an actual split personality of Corky’s, a maniacal manifestation of his own id. And all the more terrifying because of it.

Seriously, clowns are just plain creepy, and clown dolls are even creepier. For most of “Poltergeist,” this doll just looks evil and ominous but isn’t anything other than an ordinary doll – until, spoiler alert, he makes one of those “gotcha!” sudden appearances at the end. It’s a guaranteed classic chills-down-your-spine moment.

Blade, the star puppet in the “Puppet Master” series, rocks the Goth puppet look. How to accessorize the black trench coat? A knife for one hand, a hook for the other. Oh, and spikes that pop out of the eyes. Blade can be a ruthless monster if his master is evil, but he fights for good when his master is so inclined. Guess what? It’s more fun when he’s bad.

The entire cast of “Dolls” makes our list because they’re all equally creepy – even though they’re still preferable to some of the humans in the movie. These dolls are inhabited by the souls of wicked people who have to learn to respect the wonders of childhood – by murdering other wicked people. Okay, doesn’t make a lot of sense – but it makes for some chilling, gory fun.

Our final bizarre ventriloquist dummy, Hugo succeeds in being the scariest of them all – and he does so without even killing anyone. Instead, the manipulative, self-centered and icily sarcastic Hugo destroys the mind and the soul of his supposed owner, Max. Is Hugo alive or just the product of Max’s deranged brain? It doesn't matter: by the terrifying end, Max has become Hugo.

“The Conjuring” is packed with chilling moments, but few are as eerie as those involving Annabelle. An old wooden doll possessed by a spirit, Annabelle has a disconcerting habit of moving around when your back is turned, or of turning her head of her own accord to stare with vacant eyes. Annabelle proves that, in horror as in so many things, sometimes less is more – a lot more.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions:
- Pinocchio “Pinocchio’s Revenge” (1996)
- Mannikins of Horror “Asylum” (1972)
- Suzie “May” (2002)
- Jigsaw “Saw” franchise (2004-)

Chucky is by far the most popular demonic doll around – and with good reason. A cute little plaything with the spirit of a deceased serial killer, Chucky lives to kill: by electrocution, gas explosions, voodoo doll, pushing out a window, beating with a yardstick, whatever. Hey, variety is the spice of life. Chucky’s endless, gleeful capacity for mayhem is appalling – yet somehow undeniably appealing.

Do you agree with our picks? What other devil dolls should we have pulled from the toy chest for this list? For more enthralling top 10s published daily, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.