Young-hee, the murderous Squid Game doll and star of Korean children’s textbooks, has inspired Halloween costumes, nail art, and even plans for an alarm clock that awakens its owner by firing pellets instead of bullets.

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Young-hee is not the only children’s toy to give audiences the chills, however. SPYSCAPE counts down the Top 10 creepiest movie dolls in cinematic history. Be very afraid.

9. Brahms‍

A US nanny is shocked to find that her new charge is a life-sized doll - a surrogate son loved by an English couple who lost their son years earlier. The longer Greta stays, the more she believes the doll may have powers. Or is Greta actually losing her mind? The Boy (2016) was a box-office hit largely because of its unsettling Brahms doll with smooth porcelain skin. The psychological thriller has been analyzed from every angle by fans. “It’s got all levels of creepiness,” said actress Diana Hardcastle who plays Mrs. Heelshire. “It’s different sorts of bizarre."

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8. Fats‍

What is it about ventriloquism that is so creepy? Anthony Hopkins is superb in Magic (1978), playing has-been magician Corky Withers who is trying to revive his career with a grotesque doll named Fats. Hopkins learned how to perform with the help of a ventriloquist and two magicians. During one scene, the actor feared he was slipping into schizophrenia, however. When Hopkins made a mistake, the dummy ordered the director to ‘cut’. 

7. Annabelle‍

In The Conjuring movie series, California Dr. John Form gives his pregnant wife a vintage porcelain doll and before long the possessed doll wreaks havoc. The film was creepy enough, but is there actually a real-life Annabelle doll? Apparently paranormal investigator Lorraine Warren believes her murderous Raggedy Ann doll is possessed and she has locked the doll in a glass case. Luckily for Warren, she runs a paranormal museum in Connecticut, so she can store her demon doll near a child’s tombstone and ‘vampire’ coffin.

6. The Great Gabbo‍

Otto, the ventriloquist's doll in The Great Gabbo, has the distinction of being one of the earliest creepy doll movies in history. The film is about Gabbo, played magnificently by actor Erich von Stroheim, who appears to be descending into madness. The movie is one of the earliest talkies and it also has another distinction - it inspired The Simpsons’ episode Krusty Gets Kancelled (1993), featuring a foul-mouthed ventriloquist dummy named Gabbo.

5. Chucky

‍Child’s Play (1998) introduced the Chucky franchise and the world hasn’t been safe since. It could have been a very different outcome, however. In his original script, Chucky creator Don Mancini envisioned the murders committed by six-year-old Andy (Alex Vincent) with Chucky as a manifestation of Andy’s id, the primitive part of the mind. Mancini described the original film to Buzzfeed as “a dark satire about how marketing affects children,” inspired by his own father’s career in - what else? - marketing.

4. Billy from Dead Silence‍

A widower returns to his hometown looking for answers about his wife's murder. Can it possibly be linked to the ghost of a deceased ventriloquist? Dead Silence (2007) wasn’t a box office hit when it was released with an ‘R’ rating but it was re-edited and released on DVD. New scenes were added, including those of Mary Shaw with a long, slimy tongue made of the numerous tongues from her victims. 
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3. Billy the Puppet from the Saw franchise‍

Billy, the messenger in the Saw franchise, is rarely referred to by his name and only appears in person occasionally but his presence is always felt. Tobin Bell, who plays John ‘Jigsaw’ Kramer, has a three-inch tall replica of Billy the Puppet sitting on his miniature tricycle. “I think he’s a fascinating visual concept,” Bell said. “I hope that someday we have the chance to take a little journey on that tricycle with him.” 

2. Voodoo dolls from Tales From The Hood (1995)‍

The original Tales From the Hood, executive-produced by Spike Lee, focused on three drug dealers and more than 25 years after its release the film stands the test of time. One of the storylines, KKK Comeuppance, involves voodoo dolls but they arrive with a twist (we’d say more, but don’t want to spoil the film).

1. The Clown Doll from Poltergeist (1982)‍

Clowns are creepy enough, but clown dolls? Yeeesh. Inevitably, the Poltergeist clown gets possessed and tries to kill Robbie (actor Oliver Robins) - which, terrifyingly, almost happened in real life. According to ScreenRant, the doll was built as a piece of machinery but didn’t function properly. During a scene where the clown tries to choke the young boy, the doll’s arms were so tight Robins called out that he couldn't breathe and his face started to change color. Steven Spielberg reportedly rushed over and saved Robins’ life. Talk about life imitating art!

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Honorable Mention

M3GAN (2022) ‍

This sci-fi flick follows the story of Gemma, a roboticist developing an artificially intelligent doll named M3GAN. As M3GAN gains self-awareness, the doll becomes increasingly hostile, causing harm to those perceived as threats to Gemma's niece, Cady. The film, praised for its campy blend of horror and humor, grossed over $181m worldwide and is set for a sequel, M3GAN 2.0. Let's hope the sequel tips the scales more in favor of horror than humor.