This Killer Doll film is one of Anthony Hopkins' most underrated films

When most people think of killer doll movies, the following usually comes to mind: Child's play franchise, but one that deserves more attention would be the highly underrated psychological horror film from 1978 magic. Okay, technically it's a murderous ventriloquist's dummy movie, but you get the point. This creepy little picture ushered in the subgenre before Charles Lee Ray ever put his body into a Good Guy doll and became Chucky. As opposed to being like most of these films and veering into slasher territory, magic makes moves to play with your head and keep you guessing about what's really going on with the plot and its main characters. This makes all of this infinitely more effective Anthony Hopkins' The highly overlooked and incredible lead role of the mentally damaged aspiring magician Corky Withers. If you're looking for an interesting take on this branch of horror, then you've come to the right place magic is the film for you.

These days, killer doll movies are a dime a dozen. They don't quite rise to the level of zombie movies or mask killer movies, but they probably come in third place in this conversation. Since the original Child's playwe had that Marionette master films, James Wan'S Dead silenceThe Annabelle Franchise and 2023 M3GAN. Needless to say, the subgenre isn't nearly as new as it was back then magic was first released in cinemas in 1978. This may have been the biggest story of all The twilight zoneSeason 5, Episode 6 titled “Living Doll.” It's an incredibly effective piece of television that tells a thrilling and frightening story in less than half an hour – one of the best episodes of the series. In 1975, the Zuni fetish doll came onto the market and became very popular Trilogy of Terrorbut this decade would see an even more effective killer doll.

What is “magic” about?

magic came in 1978 and took the throne as the best killer puppet movie for the next ten years after its release. The film follows a struggling nightclub magician, Corky Withers (Hopkins), who finds success after incorporating a puppet named Fats (also voiced by Hopkins) into his show, and after a while it appears as if Fats is still alive were . After Peggy Ann Snow (Ann Margaret), the lines blur as to whether Fats influences Corky to kill those who stand in the way of his relationship and career, or whether Fats' actions take place entirely in Corky's head. Part psychological horror, part proto-slasher, magic is one of the most influential films of its kind.

Anthony Hopkins delivers a surreal performance in “Magic.”

There are a lot of great things about it magicThe best part is probably Anthony Hopkins' underrated performance as Corky Withers. He's such a sad, meek, smarmy guy of a man, and once things are going well for him, Hopkins' performance makes you question everything. Once he begins to “see success” and escapes to the countryside in southeastern New York, you can't tell if he's afraid of what life with fame and fortune will be like or if he's figured out this new direction and In fact, he escaped reflecting on his mistakes by leaving the city. At the beginning he is usually a cautious and depressed character shows only small signs of an explosively angry side. As the film progresses, his anger becomes more and more evident. He's nice and you want to see him get out of his rut, but he's also terribly shifty and has scary emotional outbursts. These outbursts are particularly evident when it comes to defending his dummy fats.

If Hopkins' lead performance isn't the best part of it magic, it must be Fats' character. His chunky wooden build obviously gives him an inhuman feel, but his huge blue eyes make it seem like he's constantly staring into your soul. At first glance he's a physically frightening villain, but the more you get to know him, the better he becomes. Fats is a disgusting and manipulative little doll! Throughout the film, he screws with Corky's head over and over again, causing him to lose trust in the people around him and kill people, which only makes Corky more tragic and Fats even more frightening. His high, obnoxious voice doesn't help either. Whenever he's the little devil on Corky's shoulder, encouraging him to do something terrible Jerry Goldsmith'S Beneath it all wafts an eerie harmonica-led score that is sure to give you goosebumps. Fats is a great killer puppet and is only made better by Hopkins' vocal performance. For both leads, this film is an all-time early calling card for an up-and-coming iconic actor. There's no question that Hopkins received even more critical acclaim after his performance here.

Richard Attenborough, the director of Magic, set the stage for Killer Dolls

The film also owes its success Richard Attenborough. No, Attenborough didn't take part magiclike he did in movies Jurassic Park And The great escape — he directed it! And in doing so, he ushered in many of the subgenre's future tropes. Everyone thinks Hopkins is the best part of this film, but Attenborough deserves high praise. Sometimes, magic is a supernatural gothic film shrouded in shadows, set largely in a remote house, and in which Fats seem to appear at every corner. Speaking of Fats, he obviously fits into the unreliable talking doll category. Neither the audience nor the main characters seem to believe that he is actually alive. This question runs through the entire film, but in a different way than in a film like this Child's play, it will never be answered 100%. The film also begins in a seedy part of New York City, an almost essential location for killer puppet movies. Attenborough's stylistic touches, Fats' mysterious characterization and choice of location are forever felt in this small collection of horror films.

Killer doll films are becoming less mysterious and more shocking. Most typically start by making the audience wonder if the doll is alive, but then strip away the mystique and dive headfirst into schlock. Fun schlock, but still schlock! It would be nice if more films took this approach. magic is sure to stay with you long after you've watched it. You'll wonder if Fats ever really spoke alone, whether it was all in Corky's head and what exactly happens at the end of the film. It's a fantastically simple film, but a deep character study that would never have been possible without the massively underrated performance of Anthony Hopkins. If you're looking for another film in this subgenre or want to cross another Hopkins film off your list, magic will definitely serve the purpose.

magic is currently available to stream on Shudder in the US

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