Connie is a British comedy-horror short released in 2016. It stars Catrin Stewart as a wannabe stand-up comic named Dolly Diggs. She lacks the confidence needed to be a successful comedian but that changes when she purchases a puppet called Connie. Unfortunately, Connie turns out to be far more than just a puppet.
This short provides examples of:
- Alliterative Name: The protagonist's name is Dolly Diggs.
- As Himself: Author Kim Newman appears as himself in a documentary about ventriloquism that Connie watches on TV. He says that ventriloquism is more or less dead as an art form, angering Connie.
- The Bad Guy Wins: Connie successfully transfers her soul into Dolly's body after apparently strangling her to death.
- Creator Cameo: Writer-director Cat Davies is seen briefly as another comedian.
- Evil Doll: Connie seems harmless enough at first but lets the success of her and Dolly's act go to her head. When Dolly refuses to bring her along to a date, Connie decides to take revenge by killing Dolly and taking over her body.
- Imagine Spot: Dolly imagines herself onstage with Connie getting rapturous applause.
- Lady Swearsalot: Connie has a filthy mouth which proves to be an asset for Dolly's act.
- Meaningful Name: Dolly has a doll collection.
- Not a Date: Dolly says her date with Ollie is just a quick drink but Connie knows better.
- Performance Anxiety: Dolly suffers from severe stage fright. She fails to get through her first stand-up act and walks offstage without uttering a word. The MC jokes that she was doing silent stand-up where the jokes are conveyed through telepathy.
- Riddle for the Ages: How Connie was brought to life and the fate of her previous owner(s) are not explored.
- Shout-Out: To The Shining when Connie jumps up behind Dolly and says "Here's Connie!".
- Tagline: "She's nobody's puppet…"
- Wham Shot: The last shot reveals that Ollie's puppet Hank is also alive.
