What Happened to Dorothy Bell? is a 2024 horror film in which Ozzie Gray documents her investigation into the traumatic events from her early childhood, which involved her late grandmother, Dorothy Bell.
The movie was written, directed and co-produced by Danny Villanueva Jr. It was also produced by Michael Thomas Determan and executive produced by Tim Shircel.
The How Bizarre Pictures production stars Michael Hargrove, Lisa Wilcox, Asya Meadows, Steven Alonte, Arlene Arnone Bibbs, J. Anthony Ramos, Sargon Odicho, Jason Paul Collum, Yera Constable and Tina Ona Paukstelis.
Reviews:
“Clever visual effects create a few scenes with a ghastly punch. A bit involving a seemingly frozen Zoom session is cool, as well. Villanueva is also able to make the “library after dark” setting feel suitably mysterious. At the center is Meadows’ performance, which is sincere and committed.” The Aisle Seat
“What Happened to Dorothy Bell? has some cleverly constructed sequences, none better than a Zoom therapy that gets incredibly creepy. Meadows gives an impressively committed performance at the center of it all. Some sequences feel a bit too slow-burn as if we’re trying to stretch a short film concept to 80 minutes.” RogerEbert.com
“With Meadows leading the way in essentially a one-person show, What Happened to Dorothy Bell? manages to become an intimate portrait of a very human condition. Add in the horror fantasy elements that give the film its disturbing ambiance, and What Happened to Dorothy Bell? results in a truly terrifying and tragic experience.” 7.5/10 Sunshine State Cineplex
“Overall, What Happened to Dorothy Bell? isn’t just a successful second film, it’s a film that marks Danny Villanueva Jr. as someone to keep an eye on. He’s managed to pack a lot of both scares and things to think about into a mere eighty minutes. And he’s done it on what was obviously a low budget and still found a way to include an effective-looking severed head.” ★★★★ Voices from the Balcony
YouTube reviews:
Teaser trailer:
Cast and characters:
Michael Hargrove … Darren Gray
Lisa Wilcox … Doctor Robin Connelly
Asya Meadows … Ozzie Gray
Steven Alonte … George Hall
Arlene Arnone Bibbs … Dorothy Bell
J. Anthony Ramos … Detective Rafael Gonzalez
Sargon Odicho … Amir Kashif
Jason Paul Collum … Library Receptionist
Yera Constable … Victoria Gray
Tina Ona Paukstelis … Library Manager
Eva Williams … Young Ozzie (voice)
Arya Washington … Young Ozzie
