Playhouse directors, the Watts brothers, return with Black Daruma, a horror film shot in POV that injects dark humor into the doll subgenre with an inventive twist.
Black Daruma follows Ryan, a down-on-his-luck man in his 30s. He seeks a life change and purchases a Japanese lucky “Daruma” doll. However, the doll brings anything but good fortune, twisting Ryan’s life into a hilarious and horrifying mess.
Fionn Watts, one of the directors, describes the film as a playful yet sinister blend of “Gremlins” and “Paranormal Activity.” “We shot the entire film from the doll’s perspective,” he explains. “The audience becomes the doll, witnessing the unfolding chaos firsthand.”
Filmed in just eight days, Black Daruma draws inspiration from the found footage genre and character-driven horror like Creep and Be My Cat. Co-director Toby Watts elaborates, “The disorienting POV keeps the audience guessing. We aimed for a bizarre and voyeuristic experience, highlighting the implosion of masculinity.”
Fionn adds a surprising detail: “The script predated our knowledge of real-life Japanese lucky dolls. We later discovered black Daruma dolls exist and are known to ward off evil spirits. This perfectly complemented our story, adding an absurd layer to the narrative.”
The cast includes Richard Galloway (Wasteland), Louise O’Leary (Dead Ringer), Julie Higginson (Red Dwarf), David Castleford (Hatched), Ross Marshall, and Rowe David McClelland (The Zombie King).
Black Daruma promises a unique, darkly comic experience that will entertain viewers. It’s now available to rent or purchase on Amazon Prime Video in the US and UK.