Chucky is Back and Badder Than Ever in ‘Cult of Chucky’
Chucky is back and has brought some friends in the 7th installment of the Child’s Play franchise, “Cult of Chucky” from director Don Mancini.
Cult of Chucky is the latest chapter, and 7th film, in the hugely successful Child’s Play franchise from director/writer Don Mancini. The film stars Brad Dourif, once again returning as the voice of Chucky, along with Fiona Dourif, Jennifer Tilly, Elisabeth Rosen, Zak Santiago, Adam Hurtig and Alex Vincent, who reprises his role as Andy Barclay.
Cult of Chucky picks up four years after Curse of Chucky, where we find Nica confined to a mental hospital for the criminally insane after being wrongly convicted of murdering her family. While getting treatment, her psychiatrist introduces a therapy tool, a “Good Guy” doll, in hopes that it’ll prove to Nica that she was responsible for the deaths and not a doll. Soon after, a series of grisly murders befall the asylum and it’s up to Nica and Andy, the only person to believe her claims, to stop Chucky’s carnage before it becomes too late.
First and foremost, I love the Child’s Play franchise. Though the thought of a murderous “Good Guy” doll doesn’t particularly frighten me, I still love what the creators have been able to do with this concept for the past 17 years. Though Cult of Chucky isn’t my favorite film in the franchise (I would probably bestow that honor onto the Bride of Chucky) it still managed to entertain me while also providing some fantastic visuals effects and legendary kill scenes.
In terms of acting, everyone was pretty much on par for what I would expect from the Child’s Play films. However, as always, Jennifer Tilly truly stole the show as Tiffany, Chucky’s psychotic bride. At this point in the franchise I would really love to see Tilly get her own Tiffany spin off because she’s so god damn captivating and brings a whole ‘nother level to the beloved franchise. Fiona Dourif, who plays Nica, once again goes toe-to-toe with Chucky resulting in a surprising ending that I did not see coming. I’ve come to really enjoy seeing Fiona in these films and can only begin to imagine what her character will be experiencing in any additional Chucky movies.
via Universal
I also really liked that Alex Vincent returned to his roots, and though I don’t necessarily understand his entire involvement in the series now, I still think it was smart to bring him back as a grown adult. By doing so, it’s given viewers a sneak peak into his life since his first encounter with the Chucky doll 17 years prior.
What really sets Cult of Chucky apart from the other films is how much focus was paid to the visuals. As a designer, I was taken aback by how beautiful the film was in terms of production design and art direction. I loved that the asylum was stark white and modern as it contrasted beautifully with all the overwhelming and vicious bloodshed. The death scenes also worked themselves in perfectly with the visuals, giving them a more elevated art house feel than in films from the past. Audiences also learn that Chucky has a new supernatural ability (hence the cult aspect) which I didn’t hate, but wasn’t completely sold on. If they continue this storyline with future films that showcase this new ability, I’d be interested to see how it all pans out.
A Chucky movie wouldn’t be a Chucky movie without some humor, and there was some definite laugh out loud moments in Cult of Chucky. Actually one of my favorite scenes had to do with Chucky throwing some shade towards the show “Hannibal” being cancelled. As a HUGE fan of that show, I was devastated when it was cancelled (though rumors have begun to circulate that the show is coming back!!!) so for Mancini (who also wrote two episodes of “Hannibal”) to throw that line into the film made me chuckle out loud. Brad Dourif once again brings back his unique humor and one-lines as the voice of Chucky and he does so in a way that’s both humorous and slightly terrifying. Though Chucky isn’t a figure that I’m necessarily afraid of, that’s not to say that if I came face to face with a talking/walking doll that’s come to life I wouldn’t run the other way.
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Overall, Cult of Chucky was a solid addition to the Child’s Play franchise. Though it had a few moments that seemed to stretch on longer than needed and there definitely wasn’t enough Jennifer Tilly in the film, the movie still held my attention, made me laugh out loud, and made me visibly cringe at some of the death scenes. Having had the chance to watch some of the special features, I found the behind-the-scenes feature of how they make the Chucky puppet work to be incredibly fascinating and it gave me a whole new appreciation for the films. Cult of Chucky will definitely appease even the most die-hard Chucky fans so make sure to pick it up when it arrives on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital on October 3rd from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment.
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