Curse of the Puppet Master

At the House of Marvels, Dr. Magrew stuffs something into a crate and drives into the woods to burn it. The crate is set alight in the forest, hinting at Magrew's secret experiments. The scene establishes a tense, ominous mood that threads through the rest of the story.

The next morning, Jane returns home from college and immediately asks about his assistant Matt. Magrew evasively claims Matt left because his father was ill. The exchange plants seeds of suspicion about the household’s hidden troubles.

Magrew and Jane drive into town and interrupt bully Joey Carp harassing Robert Winsley at a gas station. Jane discovers a statue Robert carved, and Magrew offers him a job helping with the Marvel show. The moment foreshadows the merging of art and peril to come.

Back at the House of Marvels, Magrew introduces Robert to Toulon's puppets, which are alive. He explains his failed attempt to create a living puppet and asks Robert to help carve the new one. The opportunity pulls Robert deeper into Magrew's sinister project.

During the show, Sheriff Garvey informs Magrew that Matt is missing, and Magrew insists he hasn't seen him. He hands Robert blueprints for the puppet and tells him to 'put your soul into it,' underscoring the dangerous fusion of artistry and darker forces.

Robert throws himself into the project, beginning to carve the new puppet with relentless energy. The work consumes him, and he ignores distractions as the deadline approaches. The obsession hints at a creeping loss of control.

Robert experiences a nightmare in which his legs turn to wood, followed by a dream of his entire body being wooden from the neck down. The visions unsettle him and foreshadow a dark power linked to the puppet.

One day, Jane distracts him while he works, causing him to cut himself. They flirt and share a kiss, strengthening their bond amid the growing danger surrounding them.

The pair drive to the woods and uncover the burned box Magrew dumped earlier. Robert finds a carved wooden hand inside the box, hinting at a link to the puppets' mysterious power.

Joey and his friends harass Jane at the House of Marvels, escalating the danger. The doll Pinhead attacks Joey and chokes him, giving Jane and Robert a moment of relief before Joey escapes.

Magrew grabs Blade and Tunneler and goes to Joey's house with Robert, and they kill him, removing the immediate threat. Back at the House, Robert shows Jane that he fixed Pinhead and they share a kiss.

Five days later, Jane finds Robert very sick and asks her father to call a doctor, but Magrew pretends there is none. A medical examiner believes Joey's death was intentional, and Sheriff Garvey and Deputy Wayburn go to question Magrew at the House of Marvels, only to be killed by the puppets as Magrew watches, laughing.

Jane discovers Magrew has not ordered any new dolls for six months and returns to the woods to inspect the burned box. The puppet inside speaks to her in Matt's voice, confirming her suspicion that she must save Robert.

In the climactic confrontation, Magrew attempts to put Robert's soul into the Tank puppet, prompting a revolt among the puppets. The Tank fires a bolt of electricity, killing Magrew as Jane arrives, screaming in horror at the horrifying finale.