Child’s Play
Directed by: Lars Klevberg | Runtime: 90 minutes
Sound the alarm and prepare. The latest classic franchise reboot of 2019 is here, and this time it’s Chucky’s turn for a makeover. I will admit that I’ve seen maybe one of the previous seven Child’s Play films, so I’m not completely up on the ‘lore’. My preparation was to watch the trailer and write a Trailer Talk, where I set out a few of my hopes for this film. I’m no mega-fan; instead I just went into this film looking for a fun and very stabby time—and, I can happily report, that’s what I got.
Child’s Play (2019) takes out the voodoo serial killer soul and instead gives us a modern take, making Chucky an AI with all of his filters turned off. This origin is explained away in a very simple, quick set up scene at the beginning of the film. After being gifted to Andy (Gabriel Bateman), we see the pair bond before the inevitable stabbing begins. From here, the film goes by at a brisk pace. Even the opening bonding sequence—which on paper sounds boring—is anything but, full of funny and poignant scenes with plenty of foreshadowing and creepiness on Chucky’s end.
Going into this I was concerned that the AI premise would be handled poorly and bog things down, but in practice it plays into the story perfectly. My concern about the film’s over-reliance on standard horror tropes was also unfounded: while Child’s Play integrates many typical horror tropes, the film doesn’t lean too heavily on them or use them in a way that feels overly played out.
Performances throughout Child’s Play are strong, especially for a genre known for terrible acting. Aubrey Plaza doesn’t completely rely on her usual shtick, making her character much more believable as a young mother. As a result, she and Bateman play off each other marvelously as mother and son throughout. But the kids are the true stars, putting in excellent performances. With the current bar for child actors being raised by the Stranger Things gang, it’s tough, but this little gang gets extremely close to that level. Of course, we can’t forget Mark Hamill, who provides Chucky with a kind of sweet but creepy voice that fits this iteration very well. If there is a sequel in the works, I’d love to see him go a bit crazier with it at times as this version does feel a bit more restrained than it could be.
Now let’s get to the good bits—you know, the stabby ones. This is the sort of film where you want to see some creative deaths and, yes, there are a few. But I feel there could have been a little more. That’s not to say that the ones we get aren’t satisfying—they definitely are. The gore and slasher elements are done well, and the AI component is worked into the killings reasonably well also. The film is definitely going for a more settled horror vibe, not outright insanity. Chucky uses his new technology to fuck with people and unsettle them alongside the straight-up stabbings that he dishes out.
This iteration of Child’s Play tends to walk a fine line between creepy and scary. Some scenes are unsettling, some outright gory. If a sequel does come to fruition, I would be keen to see if it steps up the insanity slightly—this film’s only problem is that at times it feels like it’s holding back a little. Aside from that niggling problem, I enjoyed my time. The plot was tight, and I never felt myself just waiting for something to happen. When those murderously stabby set pieces came, they were fun, and that’s all I wanted. To my surprise, even just spending time with the characters was enjoyable. All I can say is that if you enjoy fun horror flicks, Child’s Play—while not being revolutionary—will be an enjoyable ride for you nonetheless.
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