‘Toy Story’ (But for Adults): 9 Movies About Living Toys That Are Not For Kids

We’re starting this list off strong with the iconic M3GAN. This science fiction horror movie sees a brilliant aunt named Gemma creating a child-sized humanoid robot to be a companion for children. And it comes in handy when she’s suddenly thrust into motherhood after her niece Cady comes to live with her after her parents’ death. 

When it comes to the living toy aspect of it all, some might not consider M3GAN a contender. But let’s remember that they were created by a toy company. And they did everything a toy is supposed to do: enrich Cady’s life through play, support, and the development of skills. It’s just bad luck for everyone in this movie that M3GAN got a little stabby when trying to protect Cady.

Overall, M3GAN is a hilarious movie thanks to M3GAN’s one-liners and the actual animatorics when they get mad. Also, the dancing scene. However, it’s also a terrifying commentary on the lengths that parents are willing to go to just give their kid something so they don’t have to parent. The sequel M3GAN 2.0 (2025) kind of forgot that message. But still. Both are campy fun.

Evil comes in all sizes in the classic horror movie Puppet Master. Part of a franchise with 15 official films, the first movie tells the story of four psychics. After being contacted by their mysterious former colleague, they arrive at a secluded hotel where they’re stalked by a group of murderous puppets. 

Like M3GAN, this movie dips into the horror genre so it’s clearly not for kids. But this has way more toys out for blood. And honestly, it’s a B-flick movie that knows what it is. It’s silly, has bad acting, and cheesy music. But it works because it's fun, doesn’t require a lot of brain power, and has a really unique (and terrifying) character design that makes you hope they’re not hiding under your bed.

Out of the 40+ Barbie movies, Greta Gerwig’s Barbie hits the hardest. Technically a comedy, and sees Barbie and Ken living their best lives in Barbie Land. But a trip to the real world sees them discovering the joys, perils, and heartbreak of living amongst humans. And when they return to Barbie Land—and let’s be honest here—Ken becomes the villain of the story.

When it comes to the ‘living toys that aren’t for kids’ aspect of this list… we’ll give Barbie a pass. Because technically Barbie dolls are for children and a bunch of kids did watch this movie. But Barbie the movie has some things that aren’t for kids. We’re talking about you, patriarchy, and the damaging effects it has in women’s lives. Also, let’s not forget Ken. Because he was plenty toxic.

But overall, Barbie is an experience about the joys of being a girl. Sure, there’s heartache. And you bet there’s a lot of pain. But Barbie celebrates what makes every girl unique, the power we all hold inside, and the strength that keeps us pushing for more. Also, that Billie Eilish song will make you cry. We don’t make the rules on that one.

Like Puppet Master, Child’s Play developed into a franchise with murderous toys at the heart. Or one murderous toy in particular—Chucky. The slasher dark comedy sees a dying serial killer transferring his consciousness into a popular kids doll, a Good Guy doll. And when a struggling mother manages to nab one of the dolls for her 6-year-old son, the doll begins showing its true colors. 

Personally, when it comes to the living toy aspect of Child’s Play, this is the most terrifying toy on this list. In the beginning of the franchise, Chucky was almost otherworldly and exploited our fears of the unknown to a degree that stays with you to adulthood. Everything that has come after has transformed Chucky into a campy slasher, something that there’s always space for. But the first movie in this franchise is special because of how simple and thrilling the concept was.

Out of all the films on this list, The Boy is the most underrated. A horror mystery, it tells the story of Greta, an American nanny running from her past. She gets hired by an English family to look after their son Brahms. But when she arrives, she’s shocked to learn that Brahms is actually a life-sized doll with a very strict set of rules. 

We don’t want to spoil the plot twist when it comes to this living doll, but it’s so eerie. And it’s made all the more stronger by the biting tension where half the time you’re wondering if, A) Brahms is actually a real boy, or if B) Greta is losing it and being tempted by some sort of entity to care for this boy. It’s weird, somehow has a romantic subplot, and has that English countryside feel that is quaint and wistful with a heavy dose of slow burn horror.

Ted is one of the only true comedies in this list of movies about living toys that are not for kids. And it centers on John, a man whose childhood wish of bringing his teddy bear to life actually came true. The problem is that as he grew, so did the bear, leading to both of them being basically frat bros but in their thirties. 

Like in Child’s Play, Ted the bear can move independently, has his own thoughts and feelings, and has notable dialogue. And it’s easy to clock that he’s an adult living toy just from knowing the writer and director of this film aka Seth MacFarlane from Family Guy (1999) fame. Raunchy comedy isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, so this one really is an acquired taste.

Based on the beloved video game franchise by Scott Cawthon, Five Nights at Freddy’s is for the 2000s what Child’s Play was for the ‘90s. And it centers on a troubled security guard who begins working at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza as a means of keeping custody of his little sister. What he doesn’t expect is that the pizza place holds dark secrets and killer animatronics. 

Like M3GAN, we’re firmly of the belief that yes, Freddy, Bonnie, Chica, and Foxy fall into the toy category. They were built to entertain children in a restaurant eerily similar to that of Chuck E. Cheese. And like M3GAN, they care for their charges in a brutal manner. But you know why it all works? Because the movie managed to seamlessly bring the essence of the game to the big screen without forgetting where it came from. Adaptations of video games rarely get that right, but this one did. 

When it comes to creepy dolls, Annabelle is the clear winner on this list. Part of The Conjuring (2013) universe, it tells the story of a young couple who begin to experience terrifying supernatural occurrences after their home is invaded by satanic cultists. When it turns deadly, they move to an apartment, hoping that they’re leaving that horror in the past. But they didn’t. And the vintage doll with those dead eyes and cracked face is at the center of it all. 

Like The Boy, this living doll isn’t scary because it’s moving around. It’s scary because you don’t know who is involved, if the doll is actually causing all this mayhem, or if something else is behind the nightmare. It’s that uncertainty that works in the movie's favor. But we will say that this story feels a little incomplete if you don’t watch its superior prequel/sequel Annabelle: Creation (2017).

Imaginary leans more into the make believe when it comes to the living toy. In this psychological horror, you have Jessica, a woman returning to her childhood home with her family. She quickly comes to understand that the imaginary friend she left behind is very real and not happy she abandoned him. How does she realize this? Well, with the reappearance of Chauncey, a little brown bear that is totally evil.

When it comes to the ‘living toys’ aspect of this movie, we’re going to give it a pass in the same way that we did with Barbie. Because sure, Chauncey isn’t doing Woody from Toy Story (1995) levels of moving around, but the entity at the heart of this film is haunting the family through the doll in the same way that happened in Annabelle.

And like The Boy, this movie understands that tension is the name of the game. They lure you in with the question: is that toy actually moving and doing all these things or is there something else pulling these strings and creeping on people? Imaginary exploits that tension so well that by the time the revelation drops, you’re invested.