The Horror Show
Curse of Chucky
by Don Mancini
The horror genre is perhaps the only genre (other than perhaps action porn) in which sequels flourish. Rare is the horror film nowadays that isn't in some ways a sequel/reboot/sequel to a reboot. I'm okay with this. Sequels get a bad wrap but they also do a lot of good. Would I want to imagine a world without Wrong Turn 2 or without August Underground being a trilogy? With only a single Scream film? My answer is a loud and proud “No.”
In some cases, sequels allow a film to reinvent or redeem itself. The latest example of a film doing both is the latest installment of the Child's Play series. Written and directed by the man who started it all, Don Mancini, Curse of Chucky boldly reminds us that Chucky is a horror icon to be reckoned with. Mancini's father was in the advertising industry, which led to his own interest in how advertisements affect children. Ever since forming a bond with this concept, Mancini has written every Child's Play film and directed the previous chapter, Seed of Chucky. While the first three Child's Play films were more horror than anything, the previous two installments (Bride of Chucky, Seed of Chucky) were really more comedy. There's nothing wrong with them. Brad Dourif and Jennifer Tilly had great chemistry and I'll never complain about cameos by John Waters and Redman in the same movie, but the series couldn't have survived another film going in the “Self-parody” direction.
Make no mistake, Curse of Chucky is no reboot. It's no spinoff. This is a 100% full-fledged sequel to the previous films that is all horror. This film steers clear of the comedy angle altogether and, for the most part, strips away all pre-existing characters but Chucky himself. The movie concerns a sweet, wheelchair-bound young woman named Nica (Fiona Dourif). She receives everyone's favorite serial killer-turned killer doll, Chucky, in the mail, having no idea why. After the death of her mother, she is visited by her sister Barb (Danielle Biscutti). There is clearly some tension, although not directly at first, between the two. Barb is accompanied by her husband Ian (Brennan Elliot), their young daughter, and the nanny Jill (Maitland McConnell). The in-laws decide to spend the night. That's when things get bloody. Their daughter has taken a shine to Chucky and things are about to get messy.
This is not just an impressive Chucky flick, it's an impressive piece of filmmaking. This movie brings respectability back to the horror film and is suspenseful as hell. One scene involves curiosity surrounding who is about to be poisoned. The tension builds until you don't think you can handle any more. It's so well-crafted and Don Mancini shows us how skillful he is at suspense. The last two Child's Play films were horror/comedy. This one is more of a merger between Horror, suspense and drama. It's a combination that I've only seen work once or twice before but this film knocks it out of the park.There is a fantastic 'classic' feel to the entirety of the movie. It seemed genuinely inspired by Hitchcock and similar styles. Most of the movie works on its own, even if you live in a cave and are unfamiliar with the previous Child's Play entries. The film does establish itself as an official sequel in due time, however, and gives a little more insight into the timeline. Charles Lee Ray (the serial killer whose soul is in the Chucky doll) gets more attention as well, treating us to another amazing performance by Brad Dourif. It has always warmed my heart how loyal Dourif has been to the series. His daughter is the actress playing the main role of Nica. But her role is no family handout, she does a phenomenal job with the material and lends the respect and dedication it requires.
There is a fantastic 'classic' feel to the entirety of the movie. It seemed genuinely inspired by Hitchcock and similar styles. Most of the movie works on its own, even if you live in a cave and are unfamiliar with the previous Child's Play entries. The film does establish itself as an official sequel in due time, however, and gives a little more insight into the timeline. Charles Lee Ray (the serial killer whose soul is in the Chucky doll) gets more attention as well, treating us to another amazing performance by Brad Dourif. It has always warmed my heart how loyal Dourif has been to the series. His daughter is the actress playing the main role of Nica. But her role is no family handout, she does a phenomenal job with the material and lends the respect and dedication it requires.
There are a few other storylines/subplots involving affairs and a family friend (who is also a priest) but it doesn't really serve anyone to go into it. They all roll up into the story very neatly and it's almost hard to believe that this neat little film is a member of the famous killer-doll series. It reminds us, however, that it belongs right alongside the others eventually. Chucky is just as personality-driven and brutal as before once he gets going. There are absolutely no throwaway characters and everyone does a spot-on job making their screen time memorable. The film is able to stay just as interesting when Chucky is off-screen as it is when he's going to town on the household. That is a very impressive and noteworthy quality that I was not expecting at all. Especially since Chucky had previously become somewhat of a caricature of himself.
Overall, the film just comes off as a complete success. It never gets too over-the-top but satisfies and sucks you in right away. It brings not only Chucky, but the horror genre itself to its roots as well. I love horror humor and B-movie craziness as much as I like almost anything, but it's not for every film. This movie takes a slower, more intricate road towards suspense. Usually, films that mix these two elements just end up on the boring end, but Curse of Chucky steers clear of any dull moment. The deaths are creative and the turns of the story are very clever. Anytime you can say that you were genuinely surprised by moments in the latest slasher-film entry, it's definitely a good thing. With this film, Don Mancini successfully sends the message that the fun stuff was done because he wanted to do them and anytime he wants to do straight horror, he skillfully can. This is the first in the series to go straight to video (or DVD in this new ever-changing world) but fortunately it is gathering some attention. Sometimes the extra effort really does pay off.
I'm very much looking forward to seeing what's next for the series and strongly hope that it stays on this road. The films are clearly in very capable hands and it will be great to see this almost “rebirth” of the character blossom. Be sure to stick around through the credits. It's a fun journey all the way through.
PJ Griffin, HMS
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