*Originally written October 3rd, 2017*
"Wanna play?"
Horror franchises that are nearly 30 years old and on its seventh entry have no right to be this fresh or fun. It's amazing how durable the Child's Play franchise has been. I know people hate Seed of Chucky, but I even enjoy that one. People were more warm to Curse of Chucky, which was admittedly a step in the right direction tonally, but I found it a bit of a slog. So I am so happy that Cult of Chucky, a straight-to-DVD sequel no less, is just a blast and the strongest the series has been since 1988.
Not only does it pick up loose story threads from the original Child's Play trilogy, but it connects most of the films together and paves the way for even more films in the franchise, while still feeling fresh and inventive. It's a goddamn surprise and a miracle.
Bringing back the original actor of Andy Barclay (Alex Vincent) was a smart move and it was interesting to see how much impact the rampages of Chucky has had on his mental state over the past 30 years. The film opens with him on a date where he reveals he's been associated to nearly 40 murders over his childhood. It's a unique take and not the kind of continuity I'd expect from this series. After the post-credits scene of Curse of Chucky, we also learn Andy has kept Chucky's head alive and is constantly torturing it.
It also works as a direct sequel to Curse too. Final Girl of Curse is reduced to a mental institution where she seems to have been convinced she was responsible for all of Chucky's killings and is in therapy in the worst mental institute in America. Things quickly go south as a Good Guy doll is brought in a source of therapy for the patients. You can guess the body count quickly rises after this.
I appreciated the slow-burn approach Cult of Chucky takes. Things move pretty slowly at the beginning before going full chaotic in the final act as everyone comes together at the mental hospital. This might also be the most gory of the Child's Play films too. While there is some poor CGI for some of it, there is a strong reliance on disgusting and practical gore. A couple of head-stomps put Drive to shame.
Chucky himself is still the same lovable scamp I remember and adore. Brad Dourif brings that playful psychotic joy to the killer doll. I really like it when the killer in a slasher film is playful and talkative, bathing in their sadistic tendencies while they mock their victims. They also do a few new things with Chucky which made for some genuinely hilarious scenes. I won't spoil what they do with him, but it builds on the Child's Play mythology and sets the path for potentially great future.
My only real disappoints are it does feel a bit long, even at only 90 minutes and I might have missed something, but I really miss Chucky and Tiffany's child from Seed of Chucky. Has it been mentioned where he/she is in the previous film? I don't remember, but I'd like to see him return to the series in the future. Also, see after the credits for the return of another character from the original Child's Play trilogy.
Cult of Chucky is a riot. A return to form for Chucky, a gleefully violent, funny and entertaining slasher film. Looking forward to where the series goes next, because Cult plants some Seeds for some interesting places.
7/10 Dans
Cult of Chucky hits Blu-ray and DVD on October 23rd in the UK
Watch the trailer below:
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