On the heels of "Curse of Chucky" comes its irregular follow-up, "Cult of Chucky." After the traumatic events of "Curse," Nica is committed to a mental institute, but Chucky plans to track her down and finish the job. The latest installment in the series places our favorite killer doll in a new environment, and inserts some rather unconventional elements into the usual "Chucky" formula fans are used to.
"Cult of Chucky" is a 2017 sequel written and directed by (once again) Don Mancini. Fiona Dourif returns as Nica, Adam Hurtig (as Michael or Malcolm), Grace Lynn Kung (as Claire), Elisabeth Rosen (as Madeline), Michael Therriault (as Dr. Foley), and Jennifer Tilly (as Tiffany), and Brad Dourif as the voice of Chucky...naturally. This transformative sequel steers the franchise in a new direction, but oftentimes feels drawn out instead of fluid. There are some really cool callbacks and cameos in this one, though!
With just four years between its predecessor, this direct-to-video slasher is quite comparable to "Curse of Chucky" in terms of production value. There's more blood and kills here, but they feel spread too far apart.
The setting of the film has a cold and desaturated look, and the absence of much of its music (Chucky's theme is cool though!) takes a lot of the tension out of the film. There's a lot of typical jump scares in place of the creepy vibe found in "Curse." A lot of the time, Chucky is in plain sight, and he never sneaks around hunting his victims. Every hallway is lit up, every corridor is long and empty--there's no surprise.
"Cult of Chucky" follows Nica as she's brought to a mental institution, and she's introduced to a bunch of patients all suffering from various disorders. The actors don't do the best job at portraying their respective disorders (Multiple Malcolm isn't convincing, and neither is Claire... so she gets angry...that's it?!) When Chucky arrives to finish off Nica, he dispatches her "crazy" friends with the a few new tricks up his sleeve.
Don Mancini, the stalwart of the series, once again does a good job directing, but again the problem lies in the script. The film's characters were not likable, there were unnecessary scenes that filled out the runtime, and it weighs the movie down. Characters who were in one scene seems to disappear, and then reappear near the end only to get killed by Chucky. The script needed to be tightened up, and it's a shame it wasn't cleaned up a bit.
Without giving too much away, I will say that there are multiple Chucky dolls in this film. So big props go to the special and visual effects teams for the fantastic work they did on "Cult." Chucky moves, emotes, speaks, and kills with ease, and the men and women behind the scenes deserve their due credit. Aside from the doll effects, "Cult of Chucky" is once again on par with "Curse." There are gorier kills in this one, and the blood and guts effects are very good--especially if you watch the unrated version. There is one really CGI-heavy scene in a dream sequence, but the use of effects just saps all the scariness out of it. I was personally happy to see that the use of CGI was lessened for this one--good choice!
"Cult of Chucky" is a sequel that sets Chucky down a new and interesting path. It has its cool moments, and the cameos and returning characters redeem this movie a bit. I'd be down to watch what's coming up next for Chucky. The main problems with "Cult" is its script, characters, and pacing. When the film is moving fast, its great, but when those filler scenes come in, things just slow down.
If you love the "Chucky" series and are ready for some curveballs thrown at you, check out "Cult of Chucky." It's not a bad watch, and the callbacks to previous entries are really fun and exciting, but this sequel is quite uneven. Have fun guys!
Good-
- Brad Dourif as Chucky (what more can I say?)
- Don Mancini returning once again
- Over the top kills and gore
Bad-
- Bland characters (Nica is okay though)
- Script problems
- Disappearing and reappearing characters
- Jump scares
- An empty and boring setting--No suspense!
25 years have passed since Chucky terrorized Andy Barclay and his mother in the original "Child's Play." When an anonymous package shows up at Nica's house, Chucky unleashes another malicious scheme to tie up some old loose ends. The sixth sequel for "Chucky" returns to the creepy vibe of the original "Child's Play," while attempting to connect the dots of the admired franchise.
"Curse of Chucky" is a 2013 horror sequel written and directed by Don Mancini. Starring Fiona Dourif (as Nica), Danielle Bisutti (as Barb), A. Martinez (as Father Frank), Maitland McConnell (as Jill), Brennan Elliot (as Ian), Brad Dourif (as the voice of Chucky), and finally, Jennifer Tilly (as Tiffany). This return-to-form sequel brings back the spooky atmosphere of the original, but hastily tacks on plot points from early films.
Another long stretch of time had passed before this "Chucky" follow-up was released, and unfortunately, it was sent directly to video which may have hurt its reception. On the flip side, by this point the franchise had amassed a large enough following that fans of Chucky were ready to feast their eyes on the next blood-soaked chapter.
"Curse" focuses on a young woman named Nica (Fiona Dourif) who is restricted to a wheelchair. She shares a home with her mother, Sarah (Chantelle Quesnelle) who seemingly dies by suicide one day (not really a spoiler). Nica's relatives come to pay their respects to Sarah, and that's really when the mystery behind the suicide starts to unravel. Yes, it involves Chucky in some way!
Returning once more to helm the series is Don Mancini as writer and director. With "Curse of Chucky," Mancini shows that he is capable of shifting tones without compromising what's happened already in the franchise. There's a nice blend of old and new with "Curse," and there really isn't another director that could have pulled it off better than Mancini. From a directing standpoint, "Curse of Chucky" is just fine, but sometimes the pacing feels uneven, and audiences may lose interest after the first act.
Much of the special and visual effects in "Curse" look cool, but there is a noticeable downgrade in certain areas. Some of the rain effects are CGI, and sadly, some shots of Chucky are assisted by CGI. On the other hand, it's understandable that the filmmakers would use visual effects on the wide shots of Chucky, but the die-hard fan inside of me misses the good 'ol days of full-on puppetry.
"Curse of Chucky" is a welcomed return to form for Chucky, and is a sometimes an enjoyable watch. There are interesting moments in the film that will get any fan of the series going, but the film's momentum is hindered at times by the script and pacing. The elements from previous films feel a bit tacked on as well, and that also hurts the film. If you can overlook its flaws, "Curse" is a decent addition to the well-loved horror icon's string of slasher flicks.
Good-
- Brad Dourif, as always!
- The creepy atmosphere of the originals returns
- The steady hand of Don Mancini
- A solid main lead character
- Blends the old with the new (haphazardly)
Bad-
- Decline in production value is slightly noticeable
- Connecting elements feel a bit forced
- Some pacing and script issues
- Character deaths lack some originality
