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Welcome to the Dollhouse

Welcome to the Dollhouse

1995
Comedy, Drama
1h 28m
Insightful look at an unattractive 7th grader as she struggles to cope with un-attentive parents, snobbish classmates, a smart older brother, an attractive younger sister, and her own insecurities. (imdb)
Your probable score
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Welcome to the Dollhouse

1995
Comedy, Drama
1h 28m
Your probable score
Avg Percentile 61.9% from 1491 total ratings

Ratings & Reviews

(1491)
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Rated 08 May 2007
8
0th
Things are bad for Dawn, things are bad for Dawn...(repeat ad nauseum)
Rated 30 Apr 2008
85
86th
What I liked bout this movie: the angsty, misunderstood lead character isn't eloquent, witty or appealing at all. We aren't forced to see something no one else in the film's universe can. we feel sorry for her, or we don't, for our own personal reasons. I appreciate the honesty, it's something you don't see in the "angsty, misunderstood teenage girl" movies that followed.
Rated 27 Nov 2009
88
88th
A lot of the time it feels like a typical teenage alienation movie taken to its extreme, and doesn't really offer anything new. However, there are some absolutely brilliant darkly comic scenes, and it's an incredibly honest account of being that age. I empathised with the main character much more than I wanted to.
Rated 06 Mar 2012
15
9th
I prefer Dawn Devenport, actually
Rated 19 Feb 2007
40
8th
If you find this movie disturbing, you're probably healthy.
Rated 11 Aug 2007
10
99th
One of my favorite dark comedies. Unlike others of the genre, which usually involves death and hilariously crazy people (Clockwork Orange, American Psycho come to mind) Dollhouse uses emotional damage and more realistic characters, which is far more effective and in my opinion harder to make funny. Still, Solondz does it with ease.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
90
82nd
Acute observations of what it's like to be a teenager. Solondz pulls no punches and creates one of the more honest and interesting films of the 90s.
Rated 22 Apr 2008
75
59th
In a movie filled with people that are not so pretty, I can feel the fucking hormones of being awkward and young in this movie. It physically hurt. And I respect that.
Rated 30 Jul 2009
41
34th
I hated every minute of this dreary, unrelenting horror show. Everyone's terrible, nobody is remotely redeeming, and I guess that's the point, but Jesus, Todd, I already had one miserable childhood, I don't need to have another so perfectly described to me.
Rated 10 Oct 2010
71
84th
A peek into the strange road Solondz will weave through Hollywood.
Rated 15 Jan 2012
70
67th
The writer/director has a gift for quirkiness but also for making the characters and story compelling. It's funny in an awkward way but very smart too. It has some nice insights into adolescence. I enjoyed watching it.
Rated 21 Oct 2012
80
72nd
Initially disappointed, I revisited this many years later feeling a lot more positive.
Rated 18 Sep 2013
93
96th
Ohh, painful childhood
Rated 13 Jan 2023
90
92nd
Manages to use taboo subjects without feeling like Edgelord: The Movie. Even though this was not my experience, he is able to capture something raw and relatable about being a 12-year old. I love films that feel like I am being transported back to the 90s.
Rated 03 Dec 2006
65
61st
Not Todd Solodnz's best effort, but still a fine film.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
89
97th
This film is so fuckin' punk rock. The meanest comedy in the world.
Rated 25 Sep 2007
75
57th
Wow...that was gritty. That stupid bastard rapist kid who you thought for sure you'd hate (but ended up not doing so); or the scene where she calls the kid faggot (just to have somebody she's superior to). Now THAT was junior high.
Rated 17 Oct 2007
40
36th
Offbeat and quirky movie for geeks.
Rated 30 Oct 2007
88
85th
Ha ha, brutal. In what we would later learn is typical Solondz cynicism, the nerd getting bullied is truly unlikable and obnoxious. We empathize with her anyway, which is Solondz's genius. I found her parents to be one-note caricatures whose hatred of their daughter is never really fully explored; but I wonder if that's just me reacting to the filmmaker's brutal honesty.
Rated 28 Dec 2007
75
26th
This is so painful to watch at times. It's effective film making, but I still didn't enjoy watching it in the end. The director, in my opinion, tries too hard to make his films aberrant but it may be that they're just an acquired taste. It's worth watching, if you can manage not to cringe the entire way.
Rated 26 Apr 2008
6
55th
Painful
Rated 08 Sep 2008
65
21st
Kinda obvious most of the time. And having a real retarded kid playing a retarded kid was such a ridiculous idea. Solondz was trying to shock everyone in MTV-like ways.
Rated 21 Sep 2008
75
47th
Very smart flick if memory serves me right.
Rated 10 Jan 2009
98
90th
An amazing look into the life of the meek and dull! I think most girls can relate to the desperation the main character exudes.
Rated 08 May 2009
59
17th
It's not a piece of shit, but Solondz should take Larry Clark by the hand, and go to hell with their stupid irrelevant realism.
Rated 17 Dec 2009
80
44th
A very accurate portrayal of junior high that pulls no punches.
Rated 14 Jan 2010
70
40th
A good but not great debut by Todd Solondz, who I feel hit his stride with his later films.
Rated 11 Feb 2010
78
78th
More interesting than it is good. Has more honesty to what it's like to be a kid than most people would like to admit.
Rated 16 Mar 2010
74
46th
Nothing groundbreaking, but pretty solid. Matarazzo's performance felt a little bit forced here and there, but over all I liked the character she played. While not as off the wall as most of Solondz's later films, this one definitely hints at the weirdness to come.
Rated 11 Apr 2010
63
69th
Not Todd Solodnz's best, but nonetheless an insightfull movie.
Rated 15 Jan 2011
64
26th
tongue-tied over how this kinda picked me, and then I saw elluithauren's review, and it was so bang-on, so check that one out.
Rated 06 Feb 2011
93
96th
There a few words in the English language to describe how f'd up this movie is...so I've chosen some words from the Xvorgonian language: gyuebyugecu wbgcygenrsgyrweiryscgwg347fsg4fre fg3bgwercgnwerjgvwer xvbvxbsvxvxquzzzzz.
Rated 09 May 2011
86
76th
"Are you still going to rape me?"
Rated 17 Jun 2011
77
72nd
A dark comedy about children that isn't particularly childish, Welcome to the Dollhouse chronicles the confusing and scary world of junior high through the eyes of a socially and physically awkward girl. It's occasionally funny and often very charming.
Rated 21 Oct 2011
75
51st
I expected a bit more and at times I felt like I'd seen it all before. However, there are some absolutely brilliant moments of black comedy.
Rated 15 Nov 2011
79
80th
Truly disgusting movie. Hated that I loved it.
Rated 20 Nov 2011
70
0th
You can not stop thinking what she gonna be like when she grow up.
Rated 21 Nov 2011
70
53rd
I laughed my ass off (even when I shouldn't have).
Rated 29 Nov 2011
100
97th
A great representation of the threshold between childhood innocence into the revealing harshness of growing up, where hormone driven decisions and shame become the name of the game for what seems like an everlasting stretch of time. But the scenario isn't all pain and angst, there's plenty of uncomfortable humor and kitschy settings to make the darkness of the story not so depressing, but still kind of.
Rated 17 Dec 2011
86
90th
This is a very dark but entertaining independent film. The film really captures the awkwardness of Junior High School. Heather Matarazzo gives a outstanding performance in the lead role.
Rated 10 Mar 2012
29
19th
It's funny, but most of the people don't actually realize that the real bully is Todd Solondz.
Rated 11 Mar 2012
70
48th
Decent, though I wouldn't say I ever need to see it again. Not nearly as good as Solondz's Happiness, which I've gladly rewatched more than once.
Rated 14 Apr 2012
8
78th
Creepier than any horror film I've ever seen.
Rated 27 Apr 2012
92
89th
A movie about social outcasts, in particular an awkward girl, a bully who picks on her, and the rebel she looks up to. "Welcome to the Dollhouse" hits every right note, and it is easy to relate to if you have experienced bullying in your life. Bullying begets bullying; those who are the victims of abuse often, in turn, become the abusers. There are no heroes or villains in this film, just people. Heather Matarazzo is absolutely perfect as Dawn, the awkward leading character.
Rated 03 Oct 2012
10
2nd
ögrenci, okul, uyumsuz ögrenci, ezik, ergen, ortaokul ögrencisi, bahtsiz bedevi, kacirilian kiz, (fevkalade bunaltti, ailesiyle ve okulundaki arkadaslariyla uyum saglayamayan Down, kendisinden yasça büyük birine asik olur ve onunla cinsel birlesmeye girmek ister. Bes para etmez.)
Rated 17 Feb 2013
3
31st
soooooo conflicted. It does perfectly capture that middle school transitional phase of continual embarrassment and defeat. I just hate how Solondz chooses to depict/characterize almost everything & he wasn't bringing the best out of his cast at this point.
Rated 09 Jun 2013
81
79th
Solondz'un dünyanın en hafif filmini çekiyormuşcasına tuturduğu kıvamla, içeriğin yoğunluğunun oluşturduğu tezat, filmin değerini çok artırıyor. Aynı şekilde, "loser" ergen klişelerinin derinine inip, yaptığı saptamalar çok başarılı.
Rated 05 Oct 2013
82
71st
81.500
Rated 25 Mar 2014
75
72nd
Plays out like an underdeveloped precursor to "Happiness", but still pretty damn good. Solondz's insight into teenage awkwardness and alienation and the infirmities of an image-obsessed society aren't exactly subtle but they are true and portrayed with savory cynicism. Matarazzo is very convincing and if the cartoonish and repetitious nature of the script hampers the film, its unique blend of hilarity, bleakness and insight make it vastly enjoyable.
Rated 15 Jun 2014
87
92nd
childhooddramasploitation
Rated 24 Aug 2014
80
68th
I think I might prefer this slightly naive version of Solondz to the pure cynicism of his later stuff. I mean, it's still bitter as hell, but the (relatively) light tone makes the whole "everybody's a fucking asshole" thing a little easier to swallow. Although the narrative doesn't seem to know what to do with itself in the second half, the movie still manages to remain entertaining and funny throughout.
Rated 17 May 2015
70
56th
A strong satire about American suburban pragmatist utilitarian neo-fascist discriminatory shit life. It's strong point was that Dawn could not get out of that vicious circle although she wants it a lot. And interestingly the movie itself was offering a lot in the first half, creating an effect of crescendo, but the movie couldn't create something new and hopeful either. Despite being a repeated film I find it very sincere and direct.
Rated 20 Apr 2016
7
66th
A coming of age movie for adults. Being a little bit campy and some forced weighty-ness hold this movie back.
Rated 14 Feb 2017
75
64th
Great debut that doesn't hold back. It looks like any old suburban comedy of the time, but boasts a fairly harsh, even cringy story, mostly about bullying, hormones, loneliness, and domestic turmoil. Lots of good child actors.
Rated 11 Dec 2018
66
23rd
yes there are bullying, bad parents, violent, tough, insecure childhood. what else?
Rated 09 Jan 2019
4
52nd
This solondz fella sure is something
Rated 23 Jan 2019
83
82nd
Ahead of it's time in so many ways. Love the aesthetics of this thing. An easier to consume version of Solondz humour/worldview. Does that make it worse? I'd say no but I get the want to see artists pushed to their limits
Rated 14 Dec 2020
62
31st
I don't feel I got Welcome to the Dollhouse. The film cleverly juggles between insightful & exaggerated but the characters were so potty-mouthed & despicable that any perceived comedy just didn't work for me. I can't recall a single character that wasn't rude, selfish, mean-spirited or actually abusive. Maybe Dawn (Matarazzo) is an unreliable narrator; if not, the film is simply depressing. Teen angst meets existential angst that all seems pointless if the final scene indicates Dawn fitting in.
Rated 01 Feb 2021
65
18th
https://esperwatchesfilms.tumblr.com/post/641899948914458624/welcome-to-the-dollhouse-1995
Rated 28 Jul 2021
90
88th
This is ruthless black comedy that indicts all of it's characters without really feeling mean-spirited. I get the sense that Solondz hates the way we victimize each other, but also feels affection for the way that none of us can really help it. We're all just so goddamned absurdly funny.
Rated 06 Aug 2021
60
18th
6??2017.1.14/?????????????
Rated 29 Sep 2021
70
82nd
I felt every single moment of this deep in my bones, because I was Dawn in middle school. A scared, confused, lonely outcast who didn't fit in anywhere and just wanted to be accepted by somebody to feel like I had friends. Parents who never understood or saw my issues and rarely tried to. This is the kind of meandering slice of life that many will find boring, but I was fully invested in it from beginning to end. A bleak but very thoughtful portrait of early adolescence in its ridiculousness.
Rated 10 Jan 2022
83
69th
Would have played better in 1995 outside of the shadow of Solondz's later, better work, but it’s still a mighty impressive debut, capturing middle school in all its ugly, satiric glory. Beautifully, often painfully performed, with Matarazzo’s perfect lead standing out. Some narrative wheel spinning in the second half, leading to a muted and frustratingly ambiguous finale, can’t really dent the unique, yet entirely recognisable view Solondz brings to his characters and scenario.
Rated 01 Mar 2022
70
58th
someone should introduce this to film tiktok
Rated 07 Jul 2022
70
31st
Stylistically I like what's going on here. All of the musical choices are great. The problem is I just didn't find any of it funny. Plus the characters are all assholes, which just made me feel sad for dawn, and frustrated that she seemed to have no agency in her life. Though the dream sequence almost made me love the whole thing. Could have definitely used more touches like that.
Rated 14 Sep 2022
60
35th
A movie that wears the tag "cringe-worthy" proudly; there's just so much here that the movie pokes fun at (adolescence, suburbia, and even hinting at pedophilia and rape) that it sometimes feels like it's playing in the wrong key. Artistically, it was very good; it just wasn't resonating with me. And it weirdly joins a list of "movies that have Swan Lake as a climactic moment's soundtrack" (with Of Gods and Men).
Rated 30 Sep 2022
78
69th
An emotionally intense and frequently funny look at why middle school sucks that's so truthful that it may induce flashbacks of when you were hormonal and awkward. Doesn't cohere as well as Happiness, but still a strong early showing from Solondz.
Rated 24 Jun 2023
90
87th
DEVASTATING and HILARIOUS on either side of a massive tug-o-war, the rope sawing back and forth through your heart for 88 minutes
Rated 25 Feb 2024
60
26th
First,takeashitlool+lmaomouthingfuckyou+lookinathandthinkingboutfingerfucking-whatareyoudoininthere?-NONEOFYOURBUSINESSlmao+thisrapebullyisfuckeduplol

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