You can find some truly creative and chilling stories online, like those on the r/nosleep subreddit. This popular online community is where many well-known “Creepypasta” stories originated, and some of them were even turned into episodes of the series Tales from the Void.
Similar to many recent horror anthology series, Tales from the Void, available on Amazon Prime Video, has some truly scary and effective episodes alongside some that don’t quite land. However, when it’s good, it’s really good. The standout episode, Tales from the Void, cleverly updates a familiar horror idea with sharp social commentary and a surprising ending.
Tales From The Void’s “Plastic Smile” Is a Chilling Portrait of Child Neglect
The fifth installment of Francesco Loschiavo’s web series, Tales from the Void, is titled “Plastic Smile.” Directed by John Adams and Toby Poser—the team behind popular indie horror films like Hellbender—the episode is based on a chilling story called “Betsy the Doll” originally shared on the r/nosleep subreddit. The story was written by Rebecca Klingel, who often works with director Mike Flanagan, under the name C.K. Walker.
In this story, a baby doll is the only comfort for young Abigail (Beatrice Schneider), who is having a very difficult childhood. She lives with her mother (JoAnn Nordstrom) and stepfather (Jackson Martin) in a dilapidated apartment building, but they are struggling with addiction and aren’t able to properly care for her.
Abigail frequently escapes into fantastical worlds in her imagination, inspired by the playful stories she shares with her energetic friend, Betsy. She longs to share these adventures with Betsy, but when Abigail tries to make her dreams real, things go terribly wrong in ways she never expected.
A lot of horror stories attempt to tackle real-world issues in a unique way, but “Plastic Smile” does it remarkably well. What makes it stand out is its strong acting, solid direction, and a truly moving portrayal of a family struggling with addiction and neglect, culminating in a genuinely shocking twist.
“Plastic Smile” Cleverly Subverts the Cursed Doll Cliché
Initially, Betsy seems like just another creepy doll – similar to Chucky or Annabelle – with her blinking eyes and unsettling laugh. Though she’s a rare positive element in the film “Plastic Smile,” that changes when the mystery surrounding her is revealed.
This episode centers around a memory from adult Abigail (Katherine Genge). She’s prompted to revisit it after returning to her childhood home following her mother’s passing. While there, she finds an old videotape showing her happily sharing a meal with her mother and a girl named Betsy. Interestingly, Betsy seems to be looking directly at the camera, but no one else acknowledges her presence.
The story reaches its most intense moment when Abigail, following her parents’ arrest, sets a basket containing Betsy adrift on a river, hoping it will carry her to a better life. The final scene shows grown-up Abigail watching an old videotape and making a shocking discovery: Betsy wasn’t a doll at all, but her baby sister. This revelation connects to events from earlier in the story.
“Plastic Smile” starts strong by avoiding the typical haunted doll storyline. But the film takes a dark turn when it’s revealed that the doll, Betsy, was just a figment of Abigail’s imagination, and she tragically discovers she’s responsible for the fate of her vulnerable sibling.
I was really fascinated by Rebecca Klingel’s explanation after the Tales from the Void episode. She talked about the twist in “Besty the Doll” – which they tweaked a little for “Plastic Smile” – and how it’s not just there to scare you. She sees it as a really clever way of showing how a kid deals with a tough life by subtly changing how they see things. Honestly, that insight made me appreciate the story even more – it’s such a smart and powerful idea, and it really elevates the whole thing.
Many stories in Tales from the Void have problems common in modern horror—slow pacing and unintentionally silly moments that ruin the genuinely creepy atmosphere. This often demonstrates that certain types of scary stories work better as books than as TV shows, particularly if they aren’t handled carefully. Luckily, the adaptation of “Betsy the Doll” into “Plastic Smile” avoided these pitfalls.
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2026-03-02 01:37