Triloquist 2008

Angelina (played by Paydin LoPachin) is a young woman whose ventriloquist mother died from an overdose, orphaning her and her brother Norbert (portrayed by Rocky Marquette), who is left deeply traumatized and mute. Together with their mother’s ventriloquist dummy, Dummy (voiced by Bruce Weitz), a remarkable figure that can walk and talk on his own, the siblings are sent to live with a perverted uncle. The threat and abuse they endure culminates in Dummy killing the uncle to protect Angelina. In the ensuing chaos, Dummy is placed in a suitcase for years, a dark keepsake of the family’s turmoil. He is later retrieved by the siblings so that Dummy can speak for Norbert; however, soon after, Dummy attacks a child who he believes disrespected Norbert. Everyone, including Angelina, assumes Norbert was behind the attack, and Norbert is placed in a mental institution, a devastating turn that leaves the two siblings navigating a world that fears them.

Angelina, trying to survive, begins working at a strip club to make ends meet. She approaches the club manager about performing a ventriloquist act, but when he refuses, Dummy murders the manager. Frustrated and desperate, Angelina decides to free Norbert and head toward Vegas, with Dummy continuing his violent rampage along the way. In a shocking turn, they kidnap a woman named Robin (portrayed by Katie Chonacas) so that Norbert can impregnate her and carry on the family line. Throughout the journey, Angelina and Dummy clash repeatedly, as Dummy pushes Norbert to take him and leave Angelina behind, creating a volatile triangle of loyalties and manipulation. Their path grows more perilous when they are captured by a police officer who manages to rescue Robin, a moment that underlines how fragile their freedom has become. Angelina murders the officer and continues toward a secluded cabin, where she pressures Norbert to rape and impregnate Robin, a brutal plan carried out under her coercive influence. She wrestles with the idea of killing Robin when she learns that the authorities are closing in, but ultimately doubles down on urging Norbert to complete the gruesome task.

Robin, however, manages to outmaneuver Norbert by pretending she loves him, seizing the moment to strike Dummy and escape. She is pursued by Angelina, who overpowers Robin, knocks her unconscious, and reveals to Norbert that she has been voicing Dummy all along. The revelation infuriates Norbert, who launches a desperate attempt to kill Angelina. In the violent confrontation that follows, Norbert is stabbed to death, and Dummy seems to die with him. Angelina herself is left gravely wounded and shaken by the carnage. Robin escapes once more and, when she returns with the police, they discover that Angelina has fled with Dummy. The narrative then reveals that Angelina and Dummy eventually reach Vegas, but she fails to achieve any real success there. Complicating the ending, Angelina is shown to have been impregnated by Norbert, and she dies soon after giving birth to their baby. The final image lingers on Dummy, still alive, holding the baby boy and gazing into an uncertain future.