REVIEW: ‘Toys of Terror’ on DVD and Blu-ray
Photo: Toys of Terror finds a family in an old mansion in the middle of the woods. What could go wrong? Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. / Provided with permission.
Toys of Terror, the new horror film directed by Nicholas Verso, tells a scary tale of a family enjoying the Christmas holidays in a tucked-away country house down a long, snowy road. This mansion in the woods, which is being renovated and flipped by Hannah (Kyana Teresa) and David (Dayo Ade), has some secrets that are lurking behind the corners and within the shadows. As audience members can expect: There are toys of terror that wreak havoc on the family.
Joining Hannah and David on this Christmas adventure are the children of the family: Alicia (Verity Marks), Franklin (Saul Elias) and Zoe (Zoe Fish). At first, the children individually encounter things that go bump in the night, and then the real terror ensues with a full cadre of “killer toys for girls and boys.”
The acting is actually quite good, especially from Ade and Teresa, and the scenery and effects are nicely realized. This mansion looks the part for a movie called Toys of Terror. Verso must be a lover of old horror films because there is something nostalgic about the proceedings, almost as if the movie harkens back to the horror heyday of the 1970s and 1980s.
However, in the end, this 99-minute feature fails to pull everything together. The scares are mostly tame, and the plot becomes too constrained by cliche. Fans of the genre know how this goes: Eventually a tragedy occurs — quite a blood tragedy, too — and the family is split up, which spells doom for their chances at survival.
At times the script by Dana Gould can feel too familiar, with the family dialogue obvious and wooden. Give the film credit for its ability to remind audiences of Gremlins and Small Soldiers, but unfortunately there’s not much else to see here. These toys are simply not scary enough — at least not for adults. Perhaps young teenagers looking for their first foray into the genre will find the story worth their time. Toys of Terror can work on a newcomer level, but veterans of horror flicks may feel a bit bored.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Toys of Terror (2020). Directed by Nicholas Verso. Written by Dana Gould. Starring David Ade, Zoe Fish, Kyana Teresa, Georgia Waters, Verity Marks, Zoe Fish and Ernie Pitts. Running time: 99 minutes. Rating: 
