Pandory

Pandory is the central antagonist of the Hug, one of several short horror films created as part of "Huluween", a month long event in 2018 highlighting up and coming horror-makers.

History
Pandory is the mascot of Pandory's Pan Pizza Palace and is a stage-show animatronic, on day a group of children are celebrating a birthday and the birthday boy in question wishes to have Pandory put on a show, only for a somewhat rude employee to shutdown the stage and confront the kids, claiming Pandory was on a "dinner break". Yet the birthday boy manages to steal the keys from the employee and activates Pandory while said employee is distracted with the other guests - the stage soon comes alive and Pandory with it, though Pandory's presence is rather sinister and unnatural. Despite this Pandory soon offers the child a show in exchange for a hug and while reluctant at first the boy is tricked into giving the bear a hug regardless, with Pandory feigning friendliness. Yet as soon as the boy hugs Pandory changes and his eyes become bloodshot, sharp claws dig into the boy's back and the animatronic cling tight, dragging him slowly further down stage as the curtains close. After the boy's mother questions where he had disappeared to the employee suddenly looks to Pandory's stage and the closed curtain, he instantly becomes fearful and charges towards the stage (this strongly implies Pandory had attacked before) - yet when the employee checked on Pandory the critter seemed to be back in place and normal. The employee does notice the crying of a child from within Pandory however and when he leans closer the boy's arm rips out from Pandory's mouth - what happens next is unknown as the short ends.

Abilities
Pandory has enhanced strength, cunning and retractable claws - it is also suggested that Pandory has numerous supernatural abilities, perhaps even those of a demon or spirit, since he can capture victims within his form and keep them there for prolonged periods of time. Pandory is also a calculating monster capable of tricking others and manipulating them, so as to strike when their guard is down.

Appearance
Pandory is a large panda-like animatronic in the style of those employed in establishments such as Chuck E Cheese, while somewhat creepy by design these critters are ultimately designed to entertain guests and act as friendly faces for the company. Beneath his mask, however, Pandory is revealed to actually be a horrific monster - though only seen briefly - with large fangs, bloodshot eyes and gruesome claws.

Personality
Pandory at first appears as a friendly mascot that will greet child guests and offer them a show, yet its true nature is that of a merciless predator that seeks to lure victims into false security so as to capture and presumably devour them, unlike most monsters of this variety Pandory does not kill his victims outright but rather imprisons them within his form, suggesting that he is also rather sadistic as he keeps his victims alive for a prolonged (possibly infinite) time-scale, rather than simply killing them.

Trivia

 * the film is a homage to the Five Night at Freddy's franchise, the main difference being Pandory's victims do not die but are rather imprisoned indefinitely within the monster.
 * the idea of a mascot that devours child victims and keeps them imprisoned rather than dead is found in the Haunting Hour villain, Big Yellow.