Jeff and Brian are joined by director Rod Blackhurst about his forthcoming independent horror film Dolly, releasing in theaters only on March 6, 2026.

Blackhurst explains how horror can produce joy by confronting internal dread—identity loss, isolation, and moral extremity—through a cinematic language that bypasses reason and provokes visceral response.

He describes Dolly as an extreme, unrelenting film rooted in a real person’s fears about inheriting a “monster” mother’s traits, and as a collision between opposing views of motherhood and family.

Dolls function as uncanny stand-ins for children and chosen family, with a larger, partially withheld mythology.

Blackhurst discusses casting, including Sean William Scott’s dramatic role and Fabianne Therese’s demanding lead performance, emphasizing actor safety, and he rejects “torture porn” as his aim. He also reflects on gatekeeping, genre labels, influences like Barbarian, and using proof-of-concept shorts (Baby Girl, Night Swim) to get features made.