A handful of strangers living on the edge of Los Angeles' sex industry share a terrible secret in this psychological drama. Jimmy (
Paul Ben-Victor) is a small-time kingpin in California's underground sleaze empire, and he runs a strip club and peep-show arcade where Tara (
Angela Sarafyan) displays her body for paying customers. Tara is working off a sizable debt to Jimmy, and her boyfriend, Jaron (
Josh Janowicz), meets with Jimmy's business partner Uncle Lou (
Marcus Giamatti) to find out what it would cost to clear her bill. Eager to make some fast money to pay off Jimmy, Jaron teams up with Balery (
Brittany Snow), a hooker who wants to get even with an abusive regular customer. One of Jimmy's more unlikely colleagues is Mr. Garrett (
Eddie Jemison), a high-school teacher who learns that two of his students, Courtney (
Chloe Domont) and Melody (
Candice Accola), are attracted to him. Garrett decides to introduce the girls to Jimmy, who wants to lure them into a career in pornographic modeling. And Wes (
Clayne Crawford) is a self-centered musician whose career has yet to take off; needing money, he allows his girlfriend, Chantel (
Shanna Collins), to earn their keep by working as a streetwalker. Also starring
Theresa Russell and
James Russo,
On the Doll was the first feature film from director
Thomas Mignone, who previously distinguished himself making music videos. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide