The original M3GAN was such a hit that a sequel will soon be dancing its way into theaters. I’m a bit of a fanboy, so I’m looking forward to seeing this queen lay down the law (and lay down some victims) yet again. I’m so excited, in fact, that I decided to get ready for her latest outing by watching her cinematic predecessors slash their way through one victim after another.

Those predecessors are, of course, other killer toys who paved the way for M3GAN’s silver screen slaying. Care to join me in watching the kinds of films that made this genre so popular in the first place? Then stop putting away childish things and check these out.

8

Child’s Play

You saw this one coming, right? Honestly, I was half-tempted to fill this list with nothing but Child’s Play and its sequels. While there were killer toy movies before this one, this first outing featuring Chucky (the serial killer trapped in the body of a murderous, foul-mouthed doll) is the most iconic. There are many reasons for this, including some clever toys and a premise that every child dreads: that one of their beloved toys may try to murder them when nobody is looking.

The real appeal of this film and its many sequels and spinoffs, however, is Chucky himself. Voiced by the inimitable Brad Douriff, this toy has a remarkable amount of charisma and screen presence. Back when slashers like Friday the 13th and Nightmare on Elm Street ruled the multiplex, Chucky established himself as worthy of legends like Jason Voorhees and Freddy Krueger, and that’s worth celebrating for any horror fan.

7

M3GAN

If you’re getting hyped for M3GAN 2.0, then it’s a no-brainer to watch (or re-watch) the earlier film. The story of M3GAN is very postmodern: an orphaned little girl is gifted with an AI-powered android toy to serve as a kind of toy, friend, and companion, all rolled into one. However, the high-tech M3GAN doll takes its duties a little too seriously and begins to target anyone or anything it sees as a threat to its owner.

At first glance, you might think this movie is just a modernized Child’s Play. But M3GAN has a very different personality from Chucky, which changes both her dynamic with her owner and the vibe of the entire movie. Plus, M3GAN as a film feels eerily prescient. In an age where far too many of us are worried about getting replaced by AI, this tale of artificial intelligence engaging in not-so-artificial murder and mayhem strikes close to home in the creepiest possible way.

6

Dolls

Remember when I said that Child’s Play wasn’t the first iconic killer toy movie? One year before Chucky sliced his way into theaters, Re-Animator director Stuart Gordon brought us Dolls. This movie is about a little girl and her family who seek shelter from a storm and end up in a mansion filled with two toymakers’ many creations. You can probably see where this is going: the dolls are alive and waste little time attacking the family and some new visitors-turned-victims who arrived at the mansion.

If you’re an animation fan, the real joy of Dolls is the stop-motion animation used to bring these killer creations to life. But whether or not you dig stop-motion, there’s plenty to love here, including the evil doll design and the creative kills (a hallmark of Stuart Gordon’s horror films). Just be warned: you’ll never look at your own toy collection the same after this film!

5

Annabelle

Nearly a decade before M3GAN came along, Annabelle reignited the killer toy movie for a new generation. The film is a prequel to The Conjuring and offers a creepy little origin story to the Annabelle doll from that movie. That story involves plenty of murder, a kooky cult, and some deadly demonic activity, all centered around a seemingly harmless little toy.

On a sliding scale, you could arguably say that Annabelle is a subtler and perhaps more mature film than most of the other killer toy movies on this list. Many of the others are about the overt spectacle of a toy trying to murder as many people as possible, while Annabelle focuses more on the mystery behind what is happening and the desperate efforts to stop it. This makes for a very engaging watch, and the film’s popularity spawned an equally entertaining prequel and sequel.

4

Demonic Toys

Annabelle might be the thinking man’s killer toy movie, but sometimes you just want to turn your brain off and watch some senseless violence. When you’re in that mood, you should definitely check out Demonic Toys, a direct-to-video film from the schlockmasters at Full Moon Entertainment. It’s a movie that really hits the ground running by showing how a bunch of toys come to life and begin killing everything they can see, including cops and criminals alike.

Think of this movie as a meaner, more streamlined version of Puppet Master, another Full Moon picture. While the first Puppet Master tried to ground its own evil dolls via a more complex story, Demonic Toys eschews a deeper story for more carnage courtesy of its titular terrors, making it great for those who like jump scares and zombies. Your mileage may vary, but I prefer gimmick horror films like this that get right to the point and keep pushing the limits right until the credits roll.

3

Trilogy of Terror

As the name implies, Trilogy of Terror is actually an anthology horror film featuring a trio of terrifying tales. While all of the stories are surprisingly excellent, I’m going to focus on the third and final narrative. It focuses on a woman who has bought a Zuni fetish doll for her boyfriend. She’s so excited to give it to him soon that she fails to heed the scroll warning that the doll has the spirit of a hunter named “He Who Kills” trapped inside of it.

With a name like that, you can probably guess what happens next. It takes the deadly doll very little time to grab a carving knife, and the spirit of this brutal hunter starts doing what it does best. The result is a surprisingly intimate story about the doll trying to kill the woman, while both of them utilize what they can find in her apartment in a cat-and-mouse game of survival. Considering that this TV movie came out in 1975, it’s most certainly the inspiration for many later killer toy films. Plus, the finale tale has a heart-stopping ending that makes it a worthy watch for any horror fan.

2

Puppet Master

In all the best ways, Puppet Master is unpredictably weird and brilliant. It begins with physics being telepathically summoned to the same spacious inn by a mutual acquaintance. But his sudden death leads to killer toys that hail from World War 2-era Germany coming to life and stalking the inn for fresh blood. While the setup for the story (involving Nazis, telepathic abilities, alchemy, and more) is complex, it’s all mostly an excuse for the titular puppets to unleash increasingly over-the-top kills.

If you’re really into killer toy movies, Puppet Master is practically required viewing. The franchise has a whopping 15 movies so far, including spinoffs and a reboot that all flesh out this delightfully off-kilter world. On top of that, the actual puppet design is truly iconic, and later films make fun new additions to this menagerie of monsters. Interestingly, these puppets prefer to let their violence speak for them, and the fact that they don’t talk instantly sets them apart from blabbermouth toys like Chucky.

1

Puppet Master vs. Demonic Toys

If you like killer toy movies, then Puppet Master vs. Demonic Toys is basically the equivalent of Freddie vs. Jason. The title really says it all. This film pits two very different sets of demonic dolls against each other in a fight to the death. This grudge match is accomplished via a paper-thin plot in which the current owner of the Demonic Toys decides to add the Puppets to her collection, but things don’t go as planned, especially when she brings a demon into the mix!

For fans of both franchises, it’s great fun seeing the various evil creations fighting one another. And if you grew up watching ‘80s horror, it’s a treat to see Corey Feldman front and center as the great-grandnephew of the Puppet Master’s creator. Meanwhile, the Demonic Toy owner is played by Vanessa Angel, best known to genre nerds as a lead actor in the Weird Science television show. Basically, I’d rate this shlocky hit the same as those grubs from The Lion King: slimy, yet satisfying!

Getting ready to watch M3GAN 2.0 and annoy all your friends with that weird dance of hers? Before you bust a move, be sure to watch all of these killer toy movies as part of your horror homework! You don’t need to wait until Halloween to watch spooky movies, after all.