'M3GAN' And 9 Other Nightmare-Inducing Killer Toy Movies

Dead of Night is one of the earliest films to feature a killer toy. The 1945 horror anthology film tells the story of ventriloquist Maxwell Frere (Michael Redgrave), who works with a dummy named Hugo, who begins speaking independently. Hugo is a terrifying doll with an eerie, life-like appearance, but the story's true terror comes from Redgrave’s masterful performance as the unraveling Frere, who unsettlingly starts to parallel the doll.

While the story of Hugo captured the audience’s attention, all of the stories in Dead of Night are deliciously chilling. It gives viewers the feel of swapping ghost stories late at night with accomplished storytellers. The classic horror vibes will especially appeal to fans of older horror movies like Diabolique (1996) and Eyes Without a Face (1960).

Dolls follows five strangers who meet by chance after they all seek shelter from a violent thunderstorm in a mansion, only to find it filled with eerie, sinister handmade dolls. The film features a wide array of killer toys, not just dolls, including toy soldier figurines that come to life with functioning weapons. The movie stands out as an intriguing blend of a haunted house and a killer toy horror story that’s bold, eccentric, and incredibly creepy.

Dolls is an excellent choice for viewers who enjoyed the Hugo story in Dead of Night, but wanted a more in-depth exploration of the killer doll premise. However, the movie is a little more eccentric than scary, leaning into oddball characters and dark humor rather than horror. Still, Dolls is unique, paralleling M3GAN (2022) with its darkly comedic and absurd premise and reminiscent of Gremlins (1984) with its lighter horror elements.

Child’s Play marks the first film in the Child’s Play franchise. In the movie, Karen Barclay (Catherine Hicks)’s Good Guy doll gift to her son turns into their worst nightmare when the doll, Chucky (Brad Dourif), comes to life and displays murderous tendencies.

Child’s Play established Chucky as one of the most iconic killer toys of all time, creating a slasher star to rival that of Freddy Krueger and Michael Myers, but condensed into doll form and riddled with dark humor. It finds a more delicate balance between humor and horror than Dolls, while capitalizing on the creepiness of its protagonist. The result is a horror movie that is both satisfyingly creepy and wildly fun. Viewers who loved Dolls and M3GAN won’t want to miss Child’s Play.

Puppet Master is the first installment of the horror franchise of the same name. The film follows Alex Whitaker (Paul Le Mat), who becomes the target of vicious, sentient marionettes while investigating his friend's death. Puppet Master is a fun, campy killer toy and slasher movie that will terrify viewers with its whole entourage of creepy, miniature puppets. The film also differentiates itself from other killer toy stories with an overarching mystery and multiple puppets boasting distinct personalities.

Puppet Master is more charming than scary. The stop-motion and puppetry work is actually quite cute and amusing, and the set designs are visually appealing. It’s a lot of campy horror fun that draws parallels to Demonic Toys (1992) and Dead Silence (2007), which captivate audiences through their creativity and eccentricity.

Annabelle is the second installment in The Conjuring franchise and the first to center on Annabelle. In the movie, John Form (Ward Horton) gifts his pregnant wife, Mia (Annabelle Wallis), a beautiful porcelain doll, which they come to believe is haunted. Annabelle is particularly terrifying, considering it’s loosely inspired by the allegedly haunted real-life doll of the same name. 

It’s incredibly creepy, with numerous jump scares and a killer toy that rivals Chucky and M3GAN in its unsettling nature and evil spirit. While there are moments of campiness, Annabelle is a bit more serious than Dolls and Puppet Master, delivering genuine tension and jump scares that will get under all but the most seasoned horror fans’ skin. If you love movies with a sinister, haunted feel, such as The Conjuring (2013) and The Amityville Horror (2005), you’ll love Annabelle.

The Boy tells the story of Greta (Lauren Cohan), who accepts a position as a nanny for a doll and begins to suspect it could be real. It’s a unique killer toy story made eerier by the fact that the doll only moves when one isn’t looking at it. It’s one of the oddest killer toy movies, featuring a creepy atmosphere and a shocking twist that viewers won’t see coming.

Viewers are likely to have mixed feelings about the twist ending. However, regardless of whether it makes or ruins the movie, most of the film succeeds in being delightfully weird, creative, and unsettling. It is reminiscent of Servant (2019) due to its premise of a doll that’s treated as human, but also parallels Orphan (2009) and Eli (2019) through its dark and unexpected nature.

Cult of Chucky is the seventh installment in the Child’s Play franchise and features the return of Chucky, who seeks out his former victim, Nica (Fiona Dourif), as he tries to extend his reign of terror. The movie comes the closest to reviving the magic of the original film, given its over-the-top premise and blend of horror and comedy. It boasts some of the best kills and twists of the entire franchise and gives fans of Chucky a worthy expansion of his lore.

Fans of the franchise will especially appreciate the nods to the earlier films, especially in the return of Nica and Andy Barclay (Alex Vincent). However, it sets itself apart with an even wilder premise that takes the franchise in a new and exciting direction. Cult of Chucky is a must-see for Child’s Play fans.

M3GAN tells the story of roboticist Gemma (Allison Williams), who develops an AI doll named M3GAN that becomes self-aware and goes to extreme lengths to protect her owner. M3GAN is one of the most refreshing killer toy movies. While it boasts the typical humor and campiness of the killer toy trope, it also modernizes it by delving into the growing paranoia and concerns surrounding AI development. 

M3GAN is also one of the most unsettling AI toys, as her appearance and mannerisms parallel those of both a little girl and a robot. The film also leans into absurdity, as the only thing more amusing and weird than a toy terrorizing humans is a toy that looks like a little girl, but stirs the uncanny valley effect. M3GAN is just as entertaining as Child’s Play, but boasts even more dark humor and eccentricity.

Five Nights at Freddy’s is a film adaptation of the beloved horror video game series of the same name. It follows Mike Schmidt (Josh Hutcherson), who picks up a nighttime shift as a security guard at an abandoned pizzeria restaurant, only to find the restaurant’s defunct animatronics come to life at night. Five Nights at Freddy’s masterfully pulls at the subconscious fear most have of uncanny animatronic mascots, turning Freddy Fazbear, Bonnie, Chica, Foxy, and Mr. Cupcake into horror icons. 

With a subtle creepiness and a multitude of clever nods to the franchise, Five Nights at Freddy’s is one of the most fun killer toy movies for viewers to enjoy. While the film’s high level of fan service means gamers will love it, it’s strange, dark, and fun enough to appeal to newcomers as well. If you enjoyed the M3GAN movies, you’ll definitely want to check out this fun, amusing, and unsettling movie.

M3GAN 2.0 is the sequel to M3GAN, in which Gemma and Cady learn of another AI threat from a rogue military android, AMELIA (Ivanna Sakhno). The sequel delves even deeper into AI advancement and the cybersecurity industry than the last movie, while amping up its action with two killer dolls and an epic battle of AI vs. AI. The film leans more toward action than horror, but it works well, allowing its eccentric premise, creepy dolls, and dark humor to shine.

M3GAN 2.0’s unexpected, more action-packed and humorous premise may result in less horror, but also allows it to differentiate itself and offer something new to the franchise. Then, there’s always the absurdity and uncanny valley effect to add just enough creepiness to unsettle viewers. Fans of the original movie will be pleasantly surprised by just how distinct and entertaining M3GAN 2.0 is.