The Mannequin – Movie Review (3/5)

THE MANNEQUIN is a haunting horror mystery with a crime thriller plot and a lot of blood, cuts, and limbs. We’re talking the vengeful ghost of a serial killer. Tough to battle, to say the least. Read our full The Mannequin movie review here!

THE MANNEQUIN is a horror movie with a haunting mystery and a different kind of serial killer. In many ways, this feels like a wonderful homage to several other genre classics, while also being very current.

With a runtime of just 85 minutes, it manages to deliver a solid punch with lots of cut-off limbs, and a fascinating crime thriller element. The release just weeks before Halloween is perfect as this is definitely ideal for Spooky Season.

Continue reading our The Mannequin movie review below. Find it on Digital from October 14, 2025.

The vengeful ghost of a serial killer

In The Mannequin (2025), we meet Liana Rojas (Isabella Gomez) just as her life is about to change in a drastic way. Her sister dies very suddenly, and while it’s regarded as a suicide, Liana has a hard time believing this.

As a creatively starved stylist assistant herself, she was with her sister as she was about to embark on her dream of becoming a fashion designer. Her sister had just found a dream location for her fashion studio in a historical downtown Los Angeles factory building.

Unfortunately, her sister isn’t even there for one full day before her life is over. Could the long-deceased headshot photographer of decades past be the reason? After all, he was infamous for having brutally murdered and dismembered his victims in that same place.

Solve the crime or be a victim

The murderer may have been active half a century earlier, but something is clearly going on in the present day as well. Once Liana returns to the building, she soon experiences her own supernatural event as the serial killer ghost has set his sights on her.

Now, Liana and her friends must hurry and find a way to free themselves from this sinister curse.

In the process, they may learn what truly happened to both Liana’s sister and those victims five decades ago. If they don’t succeed, their body parts just may be next in the serial killer attempting to build his own mannequin.

Repeat cast members and a director cameo

Isabella Gomez plays the all-important lead role of Liana Rojas. She was also in the filmmaker’s previous movie, and she isn’t the only repeat cast member.

Both Lindsay LaVanchy and Shireen Lai return to work with the filmmaker as friends of both Rojas sisters. Plus Maxwell Hamilton, who plays Liana’s boyfriend, the somewhat deadbeat type, a YouTuber, who has his heart in the right place and wants to help.

The writer-director of the movie plays the building manager, who is always ready to help the tenants should they experience something strange. Jack Sochet (Smile) plays the old-time headshot photographer, Jack Bernard, who wants to build the mannequin of horror.

Also, I have to mention Gabriella Rivera as Sophia Rojas, who dies early in the movie. Her story may ultimately be short, but it’s the catalyst for everything else. In a very short time, we do manage to care about Sophia and understand the impact of this loss on everyone.

Watch The Mannequin on Digital & VOD

John Berardo is the writer and director of The Mannequin (2025). Having watched and reviewed Berardo’s previous movie, the 2020 slasher horror Initiation, I was very excited for this new release.

DO CHECK OUT

Our review of John Berardo’s previous horror movie >

While I was happier with his previous movie, this one also managed to hit a lot of sweet spots for me. Or, you know, brutally bloody horror spots, obviously. I enjoyed the opening black-and-white prologue as much as the grisly and brutal finale.

I imagine most horror fans will have fun with this one. Some will love it while others will think it’s just okay, but I can’t imagine many would find it a waste of time. It does deliver on solid horror (both psychological and very visceral) and entertains wonderfully.

The Mannequin is out on Digital, Blu-ray/DVD, and VOD on October 14, 2025.

Details

Director: John Berardo
Cast: Isabella Gomez, Jack Sochet, Lindsay LaVanchy, Krystle Martin, Trevor LaPaglia, John Berardo, Shireen Lai, Laura Dromerick, Maxwell Hamilton, Peter Adler, Gabriella Rivera