Cult of Chucky – Recap/ Review (with Spoilers)

Cult of Chucky honestly doesn’t seem that bad, until you realize it is trying to set itself up for more sequels.

Director: Don Mancini

Summary – Fully Movie Spoilers Presented

Thanks to the internet, Chucky (Brad Dourif) has found a way to, so it seems, duplicate himself. With that, he decides to go pay Nica (Fiona Dourif) a visit as well as draw Andy (Alex Vincent) out of his seclusion in the woods. Thus leading to, in the psychiatric hospital Nica is at, murders to happen which leads many to wonder if it is Nica’s fault. All the while, Tiffany (Jennifer Tilly) just waits for Chucky to finish what they have to do so they can go off on a killing spree again.

Question(s) Left Unanswered

1. How is it if Nica was paralyzed for all her life that when Chucky possesses her she can suddenly walk?
2. You’re telling me that some website had voodoo spells and Chucky didn’t severely mess up his life or soul doing something wrong?

Highlights

Nostalgia: Tiffany is Back, with Her Doll!

It has been 3 years since Curse of Chucky and to be honest, most of what happened was forgotten. After all, outside of SaW perhaps, what horror movie really has the type of storyline which begs to be revisited? So, with that in mind, I completely forgot Tiffany was in Curse of Chucky. In fact, I was operating on the idea that we were in a reboot which didn’t include Bride of Chucky and its sequel (that we don’t talk about).

So to see Tiffany back, as her wickedly psycho self, it warmed my heart. Especially when we saw the Tiffany doll! Albeit, the doll doesn’t get to have fun as Chucky does, nor are their multiple versions of it running around, but you can’t have it all.

There Was One Interesting Kill

The Child’s Play franchise wasn’t really that inventive of a series when it came to murder. Chucky used a knife, as did Tiffany, and only the means of which Chucky was killed ever left you shocked or in awe. However, using compressed air, Chucky destroys a glass ceiling and kills someone.

Animatronics For The Win!

Though likely budget is a factor, you have to love the fact Chucky is still this animatronic doll. He still possesses the dark side of “What would happen if our toys came to life?” All the while moving like a toy and having the limited facial animations of one. Hell, even the brutalized versions, if you look at them, that is probably more creepy than any jump scare you can imagine.

Of which the film has two or three.

Criticism

It Really Pushes The Idea That Horror Films Need To Let Their Monsters Just Die & Stay Dead

There is really nothing within Cult of Chucky which really makes you believe the longevity of the franchise comes from it being good. More so, it leads you to believe, like most legendary monsters, more and more get produced because it is cheap enough to easily make a profit. Which makes the fact Don Mancini, the writer and director for the whole franchise, worked on Hannibal so weird. For even when you strip Chucky of his comedic elements as done since the reboot, there isn’t much there.

Speaking specifically about Cult of Chucky, there isn’t a reason for people new to the franchise to want to dig in the history. Also, for people like me who have seen all the movies, though admittedly forgot some stuff, there isn’t that much of a reason to press on besides loyalty. Of which, only exists because, at this point, there is such a gap between each entry that your ho-hum feelings about the last one doesn’t instantly kill interest in the new one.

Yet, as shown by the date of this review, it isn’t like the nostalgia over the series is strong enough that you must watch it on day 1.

Overall: Mixed (Divisive)

Cult of Chucky is why the mixed label exists. It isn’t horrible to the point you should just pay it no mind yet it is far from something you must watch on Netflix or buy (to see the post-credit scene) immediately. It is the type of film where if you’ve come this far in the franchise, why not watch it? It isn’t that jolt of new life Bride of Chucky was or the mostly welcomed return Curse of Chucky was either. What Cult of Chucky does is present a new angle, in Chucky and Tiffany being able to duplicate themselves, and makes it so the monster who usually is hunting others has somewhat become the hunted.