Summary
- Child's Play 3 (1991): The third entry in the franchise disappoints due to a rushed production, lacking suspense and new ideas.
- Seed Of Chucky (2004): A silly and fun installment, but it hardly feels like a horror movie, deviating from the traditional slasher genre.
- Cult Of Chucky (2017): While solid and suspenseful, it falls short compared to the previous film, with bizarre visuals and creative deaths.
The evil doll Chucky's best movies of the longstanding Child's Play franchise are ranked here from worst to best. The original Child's Play movie started out as a script called Batteries Not Included by writer Don Mancini which was later retitled Blood Buddy. The initial concept was that a boy named Andy was given a doll that was filled with fake blood but would later come alive when Andy accidentally mixed his own blood with it. The doll, who would become known as the infamous Chucky, would come to life when Andy went to sleep, acting out his unconscious desire to kill. The story had intended to be a mystery with viewers unsure if it was Chucky or Andy carrying out the murders.
When Tom Holland (Fright Night) came on board to direct Child's Play the concept was completely changed. A serial killer named Charles Lee Ray transfers his soul into a Chucky doll just before his human body dies. With his soul trapped in a toy, he needs to transfer his evil spirit to a human body or be trapped in the doll for good so he selects Andy as a host. The movie was a smash hit and Chucky would return many times in the years that followed although the tone and genre of each sequel would vary wildly. With a 2019 remake and a 2021 TV series presenting fans with a fresh take on Chucky, let's take a look through the franchise and rank each entry from worst to best.
Child's Play 3 (1991)
The only entry in the franchise that's a true disappointment is 1991's Child Play 3. This sequel was released a mere nine months after the second movie. This rush to shoot a new sequel ultimately hurt the final product. The premise finds Chucky coming back to life 8 years after part two and tracking his old nemesis Andy to a military school. While the setting is unique and Brad Dourif (The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers) is typically excellent as Chucky's voice, the third movie lacks in suspense and new ideas. Outside the occasional inspired touch like a showdown in a funhouse, Child's Play 3 is a relative dud.
Seed Of Chucky (2004)
Seed Of Chucky was series creator Don Mancini's directorial debut. He decided to completely embrace a cartoony tone instead of making a straightforward slasher. Seed of Chucky picks up after the ending of Bride Of Chucky, which features Chucky's girlfriend Tiffany (Jennifer Tilly) giving birth to a baby doll. The movie has been accurately described as an over-the-top farce with numerous creative stretches such as Tilly playing both herself and Tiffany and cameos from John Waters (Feud) and Redman. While it's silly and fun in its own right Seed of Chucky hardly feels like a horror movie at all, which is why it's one of the least loved entries.
Cult Of Chucky (2017)
Don Mancini returned for 2017's Cult Of Chucky which finds the survivor of the previous film Nica (Fiona Dourif) in a psychiatric rehabilitation center. Cult of Chucky is arguably the most experimental installment of the series and features bizarre visuals and creative deaths likely inspired by Mancini's work on the Hannibal series. The movie also features surprise cameos by previous cast members and ends on an intriguing note that sets up a further story. While Cult of Chucky is a solid and suspenseful entry, it feels a little underwhelming after the home run that was Curse Of Chucky.
Child's Play 2 (1990)
Chucky and the Child's Play franchise arrived at an interesting time in the world of slasher films. Major series like Halloween and Friday The 13th were starting to wind down after disappointing sequels. Child's Play 2 picks up two years after the original with Andy taken in by a foster family. The toy company behind the Chucky doll decides to rebuild the destroyed doll which comes to life and seeks out Andy. Child's Play 2 embraces a more comic tone and features a number of fun set pieces. One scene features Chucky a Terminator-style showdown in a toy factory. The sequel doesn't go too far outside the standard but it's a lean, energetic follow-up regardless.
Child's Play (2019)
The Child's Play remake has proven somewhat controversial, with creator Don Mancini distancing himself from it while he focuses on the Child's Play TV show Chucky. The movie also marks the first time Brad Dourif hadn't voiced Chucky but with a great replacement in Mark Hamill. Despite this outside drama, the remake is a surprisingly fun reinvention of the Child's Play franchise. It takes the basic concept of a lonely boy being given the Chucky doll only to discover he has advanced A.I. built in which gives him control over gadgets.
After forming a bond with the new Andy, the defective doll takes offense to anyone hurting Andy and starts offing victims in gory yet darkly comedic ways. The cast is also a highlight, especially Gabriel Bateman (Light's Out) as the new Andy. The humor in the remake can be too broad at times and Chucky's backstory is rather thin but the Child's Play 2019 reboot is much better than expected.
Child's Play (1988)
After a decade of slashers with a repetitive but unique gimmick like A Nightmare On Elm Street's Freddy Krueger, Child's Play introduced the murderous doll Chucky to the world. The original movie is quite tame for much of its runtime, playing out more like a suspenseful thriller than a bloody horror flick. The central relationship between Andy and his mother is sweet and director Tom Holland milks a good amount of tension from the stalking sequences. The movie might be a touch slow for modern tastes but Child's Play is still a great and efficient thriller.
Bride Of Chucky (1988)
Following the lukewarm response to Child's Play 3, the series appeared effectively done. Horror movies, in general, entered a weird time in the 1990s. It wasn't until Scream revitalized the genre that studios regained interest. This led to Bride Of Chucky, where Charles Lee Ray's former girlfriend Tiffany brings him back to life once more and they go on a romantic killing spree. Bride has all the gore and creative kills fans could ask for but the comedic interplay between Dourif and Tilly and Ronny Yu's (Freddy Vs Jason) energetic direction is what makes it click. The movie also introduced Chucky's iconic scarred look and is arguably the most popular entry outside the 1988 original.
Curse Of Chucky (2013)
Following the box-office disappointment of Seed Of Chucky, Mancini considered remaking the original and revisiting his Blood Buddy idea. When untangling the rights proved too difficult, he instead opted for Curse Of Chucky, a tonal reboot that was also the first to go straight to DVD. While this has spelled the death of other horror franchises like Hellraiser, it surprisingly resulted in the best entry in the Child's Play series to date. Everything about Curse Of Chucky works superbly.
The best features include Fiona Dourif's strong new heroine Nica, the overall gothic tone, the intriguing family drama, the impressive set pieces, and the surprising links to past entries. Curse of Chucky is a love letter to the franchise and to its dedicated fans, proving that Chucky actually could be a hit again. These qualities solidify Curse of Chucky as the greatest movie in the Child's Play series.