American Dollhouse

Interspersed with images of a large doll’s house on a black background covered in sugary pastel colours and Christmas fairy lights, the impression is that this may go down a supernatural or a very weird route.

It certainly looks that way when Sarah (Hailley Lauren) returns to her hometown and the family home. That is now very dilapidated and as her brother Michael (Tinus Seaux) suggests, it would be worth more torn down and sell the plot.

Undeterred and liking the idea of having a large house to herself Sarah continues to clean the place up which includes removing and burning family photos. Something that doesn’t go down well with Michael. The house also has horrible memories for Sarah which are hinted early in flashback and her attempt to destroy a standpipe in the garden.

Then there is gardener/pizza delivery man Rick (Richard C. Jones) with the local knowledge. More worryingly there’s Sandy (Kelsey Pribliski) clad all in pink who keeps referring to the house as Mrs Green’s and that Sarah looks like her mother.

With that set-up and with an almost ever-present droning synth score writer/director John Valley could go in a few directions and it’s not long before it’s established which.

Set in small town America with scruffy houses and front-gardens there’s a heavy air of decay about the film. Sarah’s house is neglected with little to no furniture and tarpaulin over a section of the roof. A good reason supplied for that with the sometimes drab colours adding to the overall melancholy.

It’s fairly slow as the situation is established then picking up towards the end with some fairly bloody killings. The end itself is not satisfying when tis all goes to pot.

Once established the direction of the film is fairly predictable. But Valley builds solid tension within the gloomy interiors of the horror house once things get going. All around the acting is good with Pribliski excellent as the demented Sandy.

American Dollhouse had its UK premiere at Tubi Halloween FrightFest 2026.