Dollhouse (2025): The cursed surrogate child

2025 • Shinobu Yaguchi • 1.85:1 • Jump to Gallery ↓

Shinobu Yaguchi‘s Dollhouse follows a mother paralysed by grief after the tragic death of her five-year-old daughter. In an attempt to heal, she adopts a life-sized, uncannily realistic doll to serve as a surrogate for her lost child. However, when she eventually gives birth to a second daughter, she relegates the doll to a dark closet. A few years later, the toy resurfaces and begins to exhibit violent and jealous behaviour, suggesting that it is far more than just porcelain and stuffing.

This J-horror film explores the “cursed object” subgenre and the psychology of replacement through “doll therapy”. It’s a domestic drama that gradually descends into surreal horror. Playing with the mother’s unstable mental state, it plays tricks that call into question what is real and what is not. The doll reflects on its place in generic suburban life until it is put aside and begins to reflect the horror it contains. As the film progresses, appearances become deceptive.

Dollhouse mixes classic tropes, from the possessed doll to the lingering spiritual residue of trauma, to present an allegory of unresolved guilt. Aesthetically, the film is designed to resemble a melodrama with horror elements, developing an atmosphere of dread that fuels the power of the doll over the characters and the story. It is reminiscent of The Ring, in which the past refuses to stay buried and returns repeatedly with a vengeful, glass-eyed stare.

Technical Specs:

• The Story: A bereaved mother derives comfort from a life-sized doll she acquires at the market. Following the birth of a new child, the doll is placed away. However, five years later, her daughter begins to play with it, and strange things begin to happen. Despite the family’s best efforts to dispose of it, the doll inexplicably always returns.
• Actors: Masami Nagasawa, Koji Seto, Tetsushi Tanaka, Aoi Ikemura, Naomi Nishida, Hiroki Konno.
• Director: Shinobu Yaguchi
• Year: 2025
• Cinematographer: Fūta Takagi
• Origin: Japanese Cinema
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
• Genre: Horror & Supernatural