Imaginary and 3 other horror movies about evil toys
By Diana Nosa
Ever since horror movies have been bringing more attention to the fact that dolls can become haunted and wreak havoc on everyone nearby, we've been extra cautious to not anger any toys or artificially intelligent dolls. Sure, this fear may be irrational, but, as everyone knows, we'd much rather be safe than sorry.
Perhaps you have no clue what movies we're talking about or are looking for a couple more horror films to stream, then you've come to the right place because we're here to tell you all about Imaginary and a few other similar horror movies that will keep you up at night.
If you're brave enough, read on to learn about the 4 scariest films about evil toys as well as where you can watch each title.
Horror films about evil toys
No matter how you look at it, the last thing any family needs is a bunch of toys coming to life to take revenge on people who couldn't be any the wiser. That's why, even though these films are fictional, it doesn't hurt to learn a thing or two about how we can prevent such an awful disaster from happening.
Without further ado, here's how the toys in Imaginary and other films became horrifying objects.
Imaginary (2024)
Where to stream: N/A (Now playing in theaters only.)
The imaginary friends that we grew up with have to be left behind once we become adults. But what if they don't let us let them go? Or, in the case of Imaginary, what if they grow to become very sinister once we do leave them behind?
The 2024 horror film poses the question of what would happen if our imaginary friends (or toys that we've given very genuine personalities to) start to have real human emotions that range from sadness to extreme rage.
Alice and her new stepmother, Jessica, encounter this strange occurrence, as a teddy bear, Chauncey, influences Alice in such a negative way that it would be beside Jessica and her family to not intervene. However, when they do take a stand against evil, they unravel an entire world where beings like Chauncey exist --- The Never Ever.
M3GAN (2022)
Where to stream: Peacock
After a devastating car accident that took the lives of her parents, Cady sets off to live with her aunt, Gemma. Her aunt is a talented creator who has been working relentlessly on creating robots that can seem as real as humans. Gemma's career is a blessing for Cady, as, after her terrible loss, Cady is feeling lonely and could use a friend who can understand her. Hence why Megan, an artificially intelligent doll, is given to her by Gemma.
Initially, everything seemed fine with Cady and Megan. However, after Megan begins to overextend her abilities, mistaking protectiveness for obsessiveness, it's clear that this doll has the potential to hurt anyone who poses a threat to her best friend, Cady. But how far is too far?
M3GAN is a film that is going down in film history as being extremely camp, but also as a movie that can serve as a warning sign if we aren't too careful with how far we progress with our technological advances.
Annabelle (2014)
Where to stream: Netflix
Out of all the horror titles here, Annabelle has to be the most terrifying to learn simply because, apparently, this film is taken from real-life experiences.
The legend goes that Annabelle is the spirit of a deceased young girl and that the original owners did everything in their power to become friends with the doll after sympathizing with its life. Even so, all those efforts were futile because the doll still went on to haunt everyone who had the misfortune of having her in their possession.
The 2014 film takes this story a step further by having the doll possessed by an evil demon who desires to take control of a human's soul to spread evil all around. And while we don't know the intentions behind why the original doll was brought into this world and why those who've encountered it have had such paranormal experiences, the film does help bring some sort of rationale to the legendary real-life story.
Child's Play (1988)
Where to stream: Pluto TV
It's safe to say if you grew up with the Child's Play franchise, you know all about how terrifying Chucky was as a doll, especially because it would seem so sweet to others at first or, at least, dormant, but would then go on a killing spree once provoked, or, even worse, bored.
As reported by Syfy, Chucky, in doll form, wasn't created evil. Rather, the doll is possessed by a serial killer, Charles Lee Ray, who is on a murderous path to settle the score between himself and the several people who betrayed him while he was still a human being. Chucky's taste for blood, though, only gets stronger and stronger over time, leading the doll to become unhinged and a nightmare for everyone it encounters over the span of many, many years.
There is a Chucky that exists in every generation. The one with us now in the hit TV series, Chucky, emulates the 1988 version to a T. Even so, no one can beat the original that still leaves our bodies shivering to this very day.
So long as you don't leave your imaginary friend behind, have an aunt who knows how to create artificially intelligent dolls, encounter a sentient one that is known to have ties to many supernatural events, and have a doll named Chucky that is the spirit of a deceased serial killer, we think you should be fine!
Still, in all seriousness, these four horror films are entertaining from start to finish, so be sure to head to any of the aforementioned platforms to stream every second. And stay tuned with Hidden Remote to find out what will be the next evil toy come to life.