WELCOME TO THE DOLL HOUSE.

This article examines four films that portray dolls in complex, often adult-themed ways, contrasting with the lighthearted depiction in Barbie. Ernst Lubitsch's 1919 film *The Doll* uses stylized, childlike visuals to explore themes of artifice and sexuality through a man who marries a mechanical doll. Arne Mattsson's 1962 *The Doll* presents a lonely night watchman who projects his emotional struggles onto a stolen mannequin, highlighting mental illness and social isolation. Todd Haynes's 1999 *Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story* employs Barbie dolls to depict the singer’s battle with anorexia and critique the commodification of celebrity bodies. Koreeda Hirokazu's 2009 *Air Doll* tells the story of an inflatable sex doll who gains consciousness and experiences human emotions, offering a reflection on loneliness and autonomy in urban life.