The killer-toy subgenre of horror is one with a pretty deep roster of titles to conjure up their fair share of nightmares. While heavy-hitters such as Child’s Play or Annabelle may dominate the space, new voices in the field are always welcome for those looking for something a bit spine-tingling. Director Nicholas Verso earned some very positive notices for the surreal Halloween tale Boys in the Trees, and writer Dana Gould brought about the perfect blend of intentional-camp and chilling horror in the supremely underrated Stan Against Evil for three seasons. These two have come together to bring forth their made-for-television throwback tale Toys of Terror about a vengeful mother who curses a trunk of toys to get back at a clinic for her young son’s death. The premise is straightforward enough, but the execution leaves you wondering what happened to the creatives that brought such fun and originality to their previous projects. Toys of Terror makes a few admirable creative choices, but nothing comes together to create anything memorable in the slightest.
Hannah (Kyana Teresa) and David (Dayo Ade) are hoping to have the most fun Christmas holiday when they take their blended family to a reclusive mansion set in the snowy mountains. What they may or may not know is that this is the site of the previously-alluded-to massacre that was brought on by the bloodthirsty, mourning mother many years ago. The kids consist of typical teen Alicia (Verity Marks), who is radiating annoyance over the fact that she is not able to spend the holidays in the tropics with her biological mom. She is also none too enthused to be burdened with her younger step siblings Franklin (Saul Elias) and Zoe (Zoe Fish), who really do prove to be the worst. The family also has a nanny named Rose (Georgia Waters) to help with caring for the children, but her usefulness only comes in fits and spurts. When the young children happen upon the cursed trunk of toys, it does not take long for this unique time of cheerful family bonding to turn into something of a nightmare.
The toys come in different forms; sure, there are the typical creepy items like an unsettling monkey doll, but more often than not the dolls fall on the cute side, such as a little bee figure or a little elf to tie right in to the Christmas setting. The malevolence even extends into objects such as a Dino-Helmet that gives Franklin an unsettling, manipulated voice, or an old-school video game console that appears to have a greater link to reality than the young children realize. The titular toys are the only reason for people to tune in, and they occasionally do something of interest. The only thing Toys of Terror seems to do right is make the inspired decision to bring all of the toys to life via stop-motion animation. The creative team does not always nail the execution and the actors do not always realistically blend the two environments, but the process gives the project a retro feel that is appreciated. The film attempts to lighten up the tone a few times with some singing and dancing toys, but it mostly sticks to a straightforward horror tone that does not do the film any favors.
There are many problems that keep Toys of Terror from being passable entertainment. First and foremost is that the film is not scary at any point during the runtime in the film. There is an argument that the story is attempting to be tongue-in-cheek, but the middle-of-the-road execution does not make a strong case for substantial amounts of intentional humor. The other major roadblock for the film is the poor performances from nearly every actor involved in the project. These are probably talented actors in a different context, but the way in which they were directed results in something that feels like aliens trying to mimic human emotions. So much about Toys of Terror induces intense eye-rolling that it fails to deliver anything in the realm of entertainment. The sole bright spot in the production is the time when the stop motion animation does work well, but that alone is not enough to say this is worth your time. There are better creepy toy movies, and there are better holiday horror films. You are better off spending your time elsewhere.
Video Quality
Toys of Terror comes to DVD with a 480p transfer that is fairly strong for the format considering its technical limitations. This DVD offers up a decent amount of detail in close up shots. Compression artifacts are present without being overwhelming. Black levels are subject to a noticeable amount of crush. A large portion of the film takes place at night or in shadows, and interior settings hold up better than the open air shots. Colors are nice and fairly vibrant, especially with the Christmas setting at play. Skin tones look natural, and there are some decent facial details present. This presentation is pleasing for the DVD format.
Audio Quality
The DVD comes with a Dolby Digital 5.1 Audio track that gets the job done. Dialogue is mixed well and comes through crystal clear without ever being stepped on by the score or any sound effects. The film relies quite heavily on creating a creepy soundscape, and the way in which these subtle effects are employed gives the track some life. The score provides an unsettling undercurrent throughout the movie that fills the surround speakers. Environmental sounds such as a heavy snowstorm adds a dynamic touch to the proceedings. Directionality is rendered accurately so that sounds originate from all the natural spots. This movie presents with pretty consistent activity throughout thanks to the animated, evil toys and the whispers of a haunted house. Along with the stop-motion animation, the sound design is one of the stronger aspects of the film. The disc also includes optional English SDH subtitles.
Special Features
- Toys of Terror Come to Life: A five-minute featurette in which the cast and crew discuss the stop motion animation used in the film. This is by far the most interesting aspect of the project.
- A Terrifying Weekend – Making of Toys of Terror: A five-minute featurette in which the cast and crew discuss what makes the story stand apart from other horror tales, the intricate production design, the stunt work and more.
- Trailers: There are trailers for Deep Blue Sea 3 and Snatchers included on this disc.
Final Thoughts
Toys of Terror has good intentions with its retro approach, but the film just fails to deliver on almost every level. As something truly terrifying, it comes nowhere close to the mark. As enjoyable camp, it never leans towards “so bad it’s good” territory. There may be some who find the execution entertaining, but this was a slog to get through for this reviewer.
Toys of Terror is currently available to purchase on DVD and Digital.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the DVD.
Disclaimer: Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
