Child’s Play
★★★ 1/2
I grew up being inundated with Saturday morning commercials for the My Buddy doll (My buddy, my buddy, my buddy and me!) and always longing for a talking Teddy Ruxpin toy. Both of these '80s toy staples, along with the ever-popular Cabbage Patch Kids, are clear inspirations for Child's Play, the film that kicked off a horror franchise and introduced the infamous Chucky character.
Even if you've never seen a Chucky movie, like me up to this point, you know who (or what) Chucky is. Director Tom Holland clearly tapped into the childlike creepiness that existed in these dolls. As a kid, you always wanted one, but there was something unsettling about how human they seemed. I grew up always wanting to go to ShowBiz Pizza Place to see the animatronic band perform, but there was no way I was going to sit at a table too close to the musical action.
As a 7-year-old, seeing Child's Play when it was released was not an option, nor do I remember wanting to. Horror films had no range when I was that age. They were scary, and that was it. Campiness wasn't something I considered.
Still, the VHS covers of '80s horror films always fascinated me. I would go to the video store with my parents and secretly sneak off to the horror section, letting my imagination run wild about how movies like Critters or Ghoulies might actually play out. (I still haven't seen either of those to this day.) I don't remember the original Child's Play cover nearly as much as the Child's Play 2 cover. That poor Jack-in-the-Box.
It wasn't until college that I started catching up on all the '80s horror icons that had eluded me throughout childhood. Freddy Krueger, Jason Voorhees, Michael Myers ... but somehow, I never got around to learning more about Chucky. Like many of these franchises, the sheer number of sequels kept me away. Seven Nightmare on Elm Street movies came out between 1984 and 1994. How was I ever going to find the time to watch so many?
Full credit goes to my favorite Substack, Good Movie, and Shea Serrano's amazing breakdown of this film for finally pushing me to give it a watch. I always challenge myself to watch a scary movie I've never seen during October, and this year, it was time to jump into the Chucky lore.
And I had a lot of fun watching this film.
Of course, it's utterly ridiculous, and I appreciated how it taps into the satanic panic that was swirling around horror movies and '80s rock music to justify how a serial killer could transport his soul into a popular children's doll. The plot doesn't matter much in this movie, nor does it need to. Just know that no grown adult believes Andy's (Alex Vincent) pleas that his doll is alive and killing people.
I think any kid born in the '80s can relate to not being taken seriously by adults. If anything, this movie is probably heralded by my generation because it serves as the evidence every kid needed at the time: Sometimes the adults really don't know what they're talking about.
Three things really stand out to me about what makes this such an enduring horror classic.
First, it implements the Jaws effect of not fully revealing the monster right away. Director Tom Holland knows how to build suspense, and it takes a while before we see Chucky in his fully animated form. Even though I knew what Chucky would look and sound like before watching the film, the anticipation of finally seeing him interact with real humans pays off in amazing ways.
Second, practical effects will always win.
It's so refreshing to see puppetry and stunt performers utilized to bring Chucky to life. Audiences have become incredibly savvy, and CGI doesn't inspire the same awe it once did. Part of the reason so many people talked about Project Hail Mary was its use of practical puppetry to create a stronger emotional connection with audiences.
We're starting to see a renewed appreciation for these techniques in modern filmmaking, and Child's Play is a great reminder of why they work. Even in a movie as silly as this one, there's something more visceral about watching a physical creation interact with actual actors. You know it's a doll, but somehow, that makes it even more unsettling.
Third, the voice acting by Brad Dourif (who is my favorite thing about One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest) is top-notch. He pours every ounce of energy into Chucky's cleverness, rage and even his desperate pleas for sympathy. His voice, combined with the camera work and practical effects, manages to send chills down your spine and make you laugh at the same time.
Without an actor who was completely all-in on this role, I don't think we'd still be talking about Chucky today. Everyone appreciates someone who goes for it 100%, and anyone still making money off this franchise owes a tremendous debt of gratitude to what Dourif brought to the original film.
Child's Play is probably best experienced knowing as little as possible, which is increasingly difficult when Chucky has become such a recognizable part of pop culture. It's a perfect horror film if you enjoy a little fun with your scares. I wouldn't call it particularly terrifying, but it certainly knows how to put you on edge.
As much as I enjoyed the film, I can't say I'm ready to consume all eight movies and the live-action television series. But I walked away with a greater appreciation for the creativity and craftsmanship that went into making such an outlandish concept work. A serial killer possessing a children's doll sounds like an idea that should have been laughed out of a Hollywood pitch meeting, yet a group of filmmakers committed to it so completely that they created one of horror's most recognizable characters.
Nearly 40 years later, Chucky is still haunting the imaginations of moviegoers, including those of us who were too scared to meet him the first time around.
