One of the biggest hits at 2025's Fantastic Fest was the indie horror film Dolly. The movie centers around a couple who go for a hike in the woods, and their lives are destroyed forever after they’re attacked by a masked figure who wants to keep one of them as part of their “doll” collection.
Disturbing, brutal, and loaded with vibes of old-school horror hits like The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and Wrong Turn, Dolly received rave reviews at the fest. One of our writers here at 1428 Elm even wrote in his review, “The feature feels like it belongs to a bygone era, where horror still felt dangerous and you weren't quite sure what would happen next from scene to scene.”
We were lucky enough to catch up with the cast and crew at Fantastic Fest, and sat down with stars Fabianne Therese and Max the Impaler, as well as writer/director Rod Blackhurst. On top of making a great movie, the group was a lot of fun to chat with, and it’s clear they had a blast making the movie. Here’s what they had to say about Dolly.
1428 Elm: What were some of the inspirations that helped create Dolly?
Rob Blackhurst: I wanted to make a movie that felt like the horror films that had an impact on my growth. I wanted to make something that 13-year-old me would have loved.
The film received great reviews at its Fantastic Fest premiere. Were you confident this was going to be a hit when you finished production?
Max the Impaler: For me, no, because this was the first movie I've ever done. I’ve only ever wrestled, and I’m still very nervous that people are watching me in a movie. I’m putting myself out there in a new medium I’ve never explored before, and I feel like it was really important to me to portray Dolly in a unique way as a monster you don’t normally see in other horror movies. So it makes you nervous to wonder how people will receive that.
Blackhurst: My goal is always to have something cohesive, with everyone’s collaboration heading in the same direction. Because at least then it has an identity that knows what it is. Plus, the minute anyone else starts to bring their point of view to a project, it’s not really yours anymore. It’s everyone's. My hope is always that the movie has a good voice that’s singular. Some people will hate it, some people will love it, and I’m ok with both.
Fabianne Therese: Yeah, it’s definitely not a neutral down-the-line film. It’s an extreme movie, and it’s going to have extreme reactions. Honestly, I hope some people walk out of the theater because it’s so extreme.
That’s actually kind of like a badge of honor in the horror community!
Therese: You know, I heard a great quote once. The first year that I had big movies releasing, I had two, and both premiered at South by Southwest. The first premiere had a bad review, and it scared me so much that I didn’t even want to go to the second premiere. But somebody was like, “If you believe the good, you believe the bad.” Meaning that, if you let someone tell you what’s good, then you let them tell you what’s bad. But you know for yourself if you’ve done something well. In your heart of hearts, you’ll know if you’re proud of what you did.
And “bad” in horror is so subjective. Lots of times, “bad” movies end up being praised years later. Some of my favorite movies are Deep Blue Sea, Event Horizon, and The Faculty, all of which had lackluster theatrical runs…but now have great cult followings.
Blackhurst: Yeah, there’s no “bad” movie. There’s movies you like, there’s movies I like, there’s too much s***-talking about movies, but it’s all subjective.
So, Max I have a specific question for you. I feel like wrestlers making the leap into cinema through horror is kind of like a thing. We have Kane in See No Evil, Samoa Joe in Twisted Metal, and Roddy Piper in They Live, just to name a few. How did you get involved in this project?
Max: They actually scouted me.
Blackhurst: Our producer Ross saw you on a flyer at a studio in Nashville while we were casting the role. Then we stalked you on all your social media accounts (laughs).
Max: They did! They all went to my spam folder, and somebody at the NWA office was like, “This company is trying to get in touch with you about a movie,” and I was like, “Really?”
Blackhurst: Then we talked on the phone and you agreed to get lunch, and I was so nervous.
Max: Aww, we were both nervous! And I remember the first thing you said to me was, “You’re taller than I expected.”
Therese: Oh my god, I love this meet-cute. But also, Max, you literally kidnap young girls for a living.
What?????????
Therese: I don’t know if you’ve seen any of Max’s wrestling, but that’s their thing!
Max: Yeah, I wrestle a lot in Japan. And so anytime someone loses in a fight, I throw them over my shoulder and take them away backstage. So honestly, the transition to this movie was pretty natural since it’s what I’m already doing.
Blackhurst: I also remember during our lunch, you told me your lifelong dream was to be a villain in a horror movie. I called everyone and I was like, this is happening. Even if Max doesn’t know they’re doing it yet, we’re doing it.
Max: Ever since I was a little kid, I was obsessed with horror and watched all the Nightmare on Elm Street movies growing up. I was a weird kid and always wanted to be Freddy.