RAW REVIEW: BANNISTER DOLLHOUSE

Mycho Entertainment is a company that I can’t help but root for.

From humble roots, founder MJ Dixon has built an original horror shared universe, one made up of seven full length movies and a number of shorts.

That an indie company is able to achieve this is already an impressive feat, but what really stands out is that there has not been a single misfire to date.

So you can imagine my joy when Dixon offered The House an early look at his next two films in the series.

The first of these, Bannister DollHouse provides an origin for Slasherhouse II's extremely creepy Molly.

Would it continue the streak of hits? Read on...

BANNISTER DOLLHOUSE (2019)

Dir: MJ Dixon


Stars: Tiana Rogers, Grant Kempster, Susan Lee Burton, Emmeline Kellie, Chloe Badham


SPEEDY SYNOPSIS: I’ll try not to spoil too much here but continue at your own risk.

Bannister DollHouse continues the story started in the Mycho Patreon exclusive short Molly.

It features the Bannister family, dad Kenneth (Kempster), mother Mary (Burton), and their three daughters - Sherry (Badham), Dottie (Kellie) and Molly (Rogers).

Opening at Christmas, we witness a delighted Molly receive a gift of a decidedly unnerving doll from an unknown benefactor.

Of the immediate family, only the eldest daughter, the feisty Sherry, spots something amiss and (following the chilling events already witnessed during the short film Molly) decides to investigate. However, something has its eye on her, and her actions lead to tragedy.

A short while later the fractured family are still struggling to recover from the events of that fateful night. Ostracised Kenneth watches from afar, knowing that something is very very wrong with his youngest daughter.

But even the most devoted of family members cannot ignore the escalating oddness of Molly’s behaviour, forcing the Bannisters to confront the dark and insidious force that has targeted them...




THE BEST BITS (mild spoiler warning): One of the great strengths of Mycho’s expanded universe is that different movies give director Dixon a differential sub-genre to play in - from classic slashers, to sci-fiesque comicbook action flick, to dark psychological thriller, the Mychoverse is exceptionally diverse. Bannister DollHouse adds another new ‘flavour’ to the Mycho menu - the creepy supernatural chiller.

It reminds me a lot of Blumhouse style modern haunting movies, themselves heavily influenced by classics such as The Haunting, The Changeling and Poltergeist. I know some may find the comparison insulting, but as a fan of the likes of Insidious, Ouija (well, the origin movie anyway), The Conjuring and it’s own demon doll spin offs Annabelle (and it’s vastly superior prequel), this is actually high praise.

Bannister DollHouse exudes that throwback ‘spooky’ atmosphere - and is a real hit for it.

Dixon is a talented filmmaker and his movies always look great - his framing of shots and visually striking colour palettes have only become better with each passing movie. This could be the best looking Mycho movie yet. At times some shots look like paintings and the clever use of colour motifs really pops. Bravo!

Of course, good looks alone don’t make a good movie, there needs to be some substance too. Thankfully, Dixon’s script delivers. It’s a very different sort of story to those he usually tells - it’s less grounded and opens up a whole new corner of the Mychoverse (think of this as Mycho’s Dr Strange!)

However, there’s no awkwardness in the transition and Dixon proves just as adept at this type of horror story too. There’s also a strong focus on character in this story, giving us a reason to care about the Bannister clan before the inevitable bloodshed. Too often overlooked in our genre in the past, it’s great to see filmmakers taking the efforts to earn an emotional investment from the audience.

It certainly helps the cause that at the core of the movie there is a cast that are uniformly strong.

Making her return to the Mycho fold having previously portrayed Molly in both 2016’s Slasher House II and the aforementioned short film, Rogers is pivotal to the success of the film. It’s a complicated role requiring real range, and she manages it with aplomb. While I suspect Molly Bannister’s story may be all but told, I’m sure Dixon will find a way to use her again (she’s clearly a favourite having appeared in 2015’s Cleaver too). Fingers crossed!

Badham is another actress who Dixon has used multiple times and it’s easy to see why. She’s quite excellent and I think it’s telling that the only criticism I can find of her scenes is that I wish there were more of them!

Burton is also excellent and takes a role that could well have fallen flat in lesser hands to major beleaguered mum Mary one of the film’s more interesting characters. A classy actress to watch, she strengthens every scene she’s in.

Kempster is also great, and brings a nice degree of pathos to his role. Like both Rogers and Burton, his is a role that could decide whether the film holds up or falls down, and he shows he is more than up to the task with a nuanced performance.

Kellie has plenty of experience and is just as strong as the other actors, even if she does have a little less to do. She’s definitely one to watch.

Now, this isn’t a family drama - Mycho is an unapologetic creator of horror movies. A decent script and talented cast are all well and good, but what about the frights?

Well, I think a strong argument can be made that this is one of the scariest films in the series. Tonally it’s definitely closer to Mycho’s genuinely unnerving Hollower than the more fun and in your face Slasher House flicks.

There are some fantastically creepy set pieces and one of the more terrifying antagonists in the series - a demonic entity that is sure to chill the blood during each of its brief but memorable screen appearances.




THE WORST BITS (mild spoiler warning): Honestly, it feels churlish to find fault with a film like Bannister DollHouse, one that achieves so much with so little. In fact I’d go so far as to say that everything in this section of the review will amount to little more than nitpicking, but that is my job after all.

I have referred to MJ Dixon as a microbudget maestro in the past. This is still true, but he is not a miracle worker. While I have likened Bannister DollHouse to the glossy output of Blumhouse, I do feel it is is worth stressing that is a low budget British indie horror movie without the substantial resources of colossal Hollywood studios. Yes it looks good, but do please adjust your expectations accordingly.

Another quibble I have, is with some of the humour injected into proceedings at times. I understand that a film as dark and grim as this needs the tension to be broken at times, but some of the wisecracks felt a little jarring. Sadly the delivery just felt a little off on a couple of occasions too. Perhaps I was just in the mood to be scared? Nonetheless these instances were few and far between and certainly not a big enough deal to have much of an affect on my enjoyment of the film.

Finally, as mentioned above, this is the latest chapter in an ongoing story of many chapters. First time Mycho viewers may find themselves a little daunted. Yes, this is a movie that rewards familiarity with the Mycho brand. However, this is not the equivalent of walking into Infinity War having never seen a Marvel Studios movie.

In fact, Bannister DollHouse is one of the best Mychoverse pictures from a stand-alone basis - and a lack of familiarity with Slasher House II would actually make the entire last act significantly more surprising! But do watch Molly to get the full story - and give those talented Mycho folk a bit more Patreon support while you’re at it.




THE VERDICT: I often review Mycho’s movies positively here at The House. I make no secret of my admiration for what MJ, Anna, and their network of talented collaborators have achieved.

But do not let that trick you into thinking that the movies they create are not worthy of the praise I give them - especially this one.

Putting it simply, Bannister DollHouse is one of the best movies they have made, and a genuine must-see. It’s a dark, creepy spookfest with enough frights to chill the most hardened of horror-loving hearts.

With a superb cast, visuals and plot, this is the real deal - and more than worthy of the Mycho name.

The next effort CleaverS has certainly got its work cut out following this - stay tuned to see how it fares.


Both Bannister DollHouse and CleaverS will have their world premieres at the Horror-on-Sea festival at Southend’s Park Inn Palace Hotel in January. You can buy tickets at www.horror-on-sea.com.


Meanwhile, keep up with Bannister DollHouse news at Mycho’s official web site at https://mycho.weebly.com. And check out their Patreon here.


If you haven’t already, do please check out and Like the Hickey’s House of Horrors Facebook page, which you can find here. It gives you a nice quick link to any new posts on this blog, plus regular news updates from around the web. I check the Internet so you don’t have to! Alternatively, follow me on twitter: The House @HickeysHorrors


Until next time, I hope you enjoyed your stay.

RAW REVIEW: THE BOY

In my recent feature on the Creepypasta story Candle Cove I discussed automatonophobia, the common fear of man-made objects created to closely resemble the human form. These can include mannequins, ventriloquist's dummies and scarecrows, but one of the most common forms of the condition is pediophobia, the fear of dolls.

Horror has been quick to recognise this fear and the creepy doll has become a staple of horror films and stories.

The latest of these, William Brent Bell's The Boy hits UK cinemas this weekend.

Is this a film you'll want to play with?

Or is it one ready to be forgotten at the bottom of the toy box?

Read on...

THE BOY (2016)

Dir: William Brent Bell

Starring: Lauren Cohan, Rupert Evans, Jim Norton, Diana Hardcastle, Stephanie Lemelin, Ben Robson

SPEEDY SYNOPSIS: I'll try not to spoil too much here but continue at your own risk.

Greta (Cohan) is a young American nanny hired by a wealthy English couple to care for their son.

Upon arriving at the decidedly Gothic country house and its sprawling grounds, Greta is introduced to the pair who hired her — the elderly Mr and Mrs Heelshire. Mr Heelshire (Norton) seems weary while his wife (Hardcastle) is stern and imposing.

However, Greta is shocked when the pair take her to see their son Brahms — and she realises that she has been hired to care for a life-size doll.

It emerges that since the couple lost the real Brahms years ago, they have used the doll as a replacement to help them cope with their grief. Now they plan to go away on a holiday and they want to be sure that their beloved 'boy' is in safe hands.

After they set off Greta finds herself living a lonely existence in the house. Miles from the nearest small village, her only interactions come in chats with the charming friendly grocery delivery driver, Malcolm (Evans), and long-distance phonecalls to her friend Sandy (Lemelin) back in the States, calls that hint at a tragedy in Greta's past.

But is Greta as alone as she seems? Little events around the house suggest that she may not be the only resident — and how does Brahms seem to move around the home on his own?

THE BEST BITS (mild spoiler warning): I like horror to be spooky, for the frights to come from unease and carefully cultivated atmosphere. That is something that The Boy manages admirably.

The dark and dusty mansion may have become something of a horror cliche but there is a reason why it continues to be used to this day — because it works!

The production design by John Willett is superb, the house is full of little antiquated trinkets and disconcertingly alert-seeming portraits glare down imperiously from the walls.

Of course, the most striking design triumph comes in Brahms himself. In the Candle Cove feature I discussed the Uncanny Valley hypothesis, in which when inanimate objects reach a certain level of realism there is an abrupt and steep drop in the comfort-level of the beholder. The team behind The Boy understand this and, instead of creating a cartoonishly scary doll a la Annabelle, they give us a decidedly understated design which is more the frightening for its realism. The only nod to an obviously unsettling appearance is the sharp contrast between the doll's deathly white porcelain 'skin' and its jet-black hair and attire.

Further adding to the spooky aesthetics is the work of cinematographer Daniel Pearl who gives the whole film a murky, washed out look, heightening the feeling of age and long-buried secrets. 

This atmosphere is ratcheted up by the awesomely chilling soundtrack by the very talented Bear McCreary. It's a somber and understated affair that gels perfectly with the shadowy look of the movie.

As well as the impressive visuals the film also boasts a strong cast. The Walking Dead's Cohan proves a capable leading lady and her ability to emote frailty with her big expressive eyes proves a valuable asset. She's a talented actress and acquits herself admirably.

Evans lends strong support (even if the character is a bit too stereotypically 'British') while the excellent Norton and Hardcastle more than deliver with their limited screentime.  

But let us make no bones about it, this is a film built on atmosphere, one which emulates horror classics of yesteryear.

The story, written by Stacey Menear, affords plenty of old-fashioned shocks, and fans of older gothic horror will certainly get a kick out of the big reveal in the final act.

What's more, the story gives director Bell plenty of opportunities to deliver more visceral jolts. There are some excellently worked jumps, while a couple of key moments deliver proper squirming discomfort. 

Bell is undoubtedly a talented director, ensuring that the film always looks and flows well, with some sterling production values. But more specifically, Bell is a superb horror story teller. He takes a handful of quite hackneyed genre tropes and mixes them together in such a way as to keep them frightening. Impressive work indeed.

THE BAD BITS (mild spoiler warning): I suppose the problem that most viewers will have with The Boy is its lack of originality. I think it's fair to say that the film doesn't exactly break new ground, but it tells a story that feels like a clear homage to Gothic horror, and what's more, it does it very well. 

That the big twist is somewhat predictable is another problem that stems from this, but luckily, unlike Goodnight Mommy, it doesn't overly telegraph this twist, nor does the whole film hinge on this reveal.

Now some of the more extreme horror fans may well complain about the comparative toothlessness of The Boy. It's a fair comment, this certainly isn't a sadistic splatterfest for the hardened gorehound. Instead it is essentially, a very atmospheric thriller with plenty of horror trappings. I don't think this is a bad thing — there's room for both types of flick on the DVD shelf here at The House.

Finally, while I praised the well-worked jumpscares, I did feel that Bell may have overdone it with 'BOO!-Not-really,-it's-just-a-dream'-cliche. It's ok to deliver an audience awakening jolt in this way once during a movie, any more is really pushing your luck.

THE VERDICT: The Boy is a fun little shocker with bags of atmosphere and some supremely spooky design work. Sure William Brent Bell's movie isn't the most original flick out there, and those craving a high bodycount would be better off looking elsewhere, but if you want spooky, this one's for you.

The Boy is released in UK cinemas this Friday, 11 March. For information, check out the film's official Facebook page here.

If you haven’t already, do please check out and like the Hickey’s House of Horrors Facebook page, which you can find here. It gives you a nice quick link to any new posts on this blog, plus regular news updates from around the web. I check the Internet so you don’t have to! Alternatively, follow me on twitter: The House@HickeysHorrors

Until next time, I hope you enjoyed your stay.