It’s been nine years since Don Mancini created his feature debut Seed of Chucky, and this time, it seems he’s had enough of the goofy craziness we saw in the previous two films. Having written every single Child’s Play/Chucky film, he now wanted to get back to the basics with turning Chucky into a more sinister presence. Perhaps this decision was a bit aided by the audience’s disapproval for the extremely silly direction the franchise had been led into, with especially the last film. It is still supposed to be in the same universe as the previous films, though, as the story starts with what is supposed to be nine years after the events of Seed of Chucky. And no, Tiffany and Glen/Glenda are no longer in the picture, so they must be living their happy lives somewhere else.
The story here starts with Sarah Pierce and her paraplegic daughter Nica getting a mysterious package. What’s inside? A Good Guy doll, of course! What else. Chucky still knows his old tricks, it seems, as it isn’t the first time he’s shipped himself somewhere. Confused, Sarah decides to just throw the doll away, something she’ll soon regret. Nica is later awakened by hearing Sarah scream, and finds her dead body. It’s ruled a suicide, and Nica soon gets the house filled with family: her older sister Barb, her husband Ian, their daughter Alice, and their nanny Jill (who is of course having an affair with Ian). Alice finds Chucky and bonds with the doll immediately, and during a dinner where a priest has been invited, Chucky manages to poison the priest’s food. Another kill count upcoming, but this one happens after he has left so no one’s the wiser. Nica becomes suspicious about the doll, and Chucky seems determined to take them all out. But why? What’s his deal with Nica and her family?
Curse of Chucky from 2013 is the sixth film in the franchise, this time also written and directed by Don Mancini. And this one went straight to VOD, followed by DVD and Blu-ray releases. And this time the franchise has buried the comedy and over-the-top elements and nailed the coffin shut, going for a straight-forward horror premise. The setting is a creepy and large house, and there’s a good amount of spooky atmosphere to work well with the film’s more serious tone. I enjoyed several of the death scenes, great variation but not as excessive with the blood and gore as the previous entries. Overall a nice Chucky film, especially for those who wanted it to take a more serious route.
Honestly, though, I can’t say I’m a fan of the reveal behind Chucky’s deal with Nica and her family. It is simply too significant to make much sense…especially since the film is trying to take place in the same universe where all the previous films actually happened. All those years, and something that important in Charles Lee Ray’s life suddenly becomes a plot point? Sorry dawg, I’m just not buying it. The movie works pretty well for those who wanted Chucky to return to the more grounded horror levels, and was probably a relief for the fans who felt their favorite killer doll had been “ruined“ by the previous films.
There was also a sequel to this film called Cult of Chucky, where Andy Barclay is reintroduced, and while this movie seems to be rather well regarded among the Chucky fans, it really wasn’t my thing. And I’m probably also the odd one out here when I say I enjoyed Bride and Seed considerably more than Curse. Cult of Chucky was of course not the end of the killer doll, though, there’s since been the Child’s Play remake from 2019 by Lars Klevberg, and the Chucky TV series which is available on Netflix. Chucky just is one of those horror villains that never dies no matter how many times he is killed.
Writer and director: Don Mancini
Country & year: USA, 2013
Actors: Chantal Quesnelle, Fiona Dourif, Brad Dourif, Jordan Gavaris, Danielle Bisutti, A Martinez, Maitland McConnell, Brennan Elliott, Summer H. Howell
IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2230358/
Prequels:
– Seed of Chucky (2004)
– Bride of Chucky (1998)
– Child’s Play 3 (1991)
– Child’s Play 2 (1990)
– Child’s Play (1988)
Remake:
– Child’s Play (2019)
