Cult of Chucky (2017) #481

 

Movie preview here!

Chucky is back and ready for action. "Cult of Chucky" resumes right where "Curse of Chucky" left off with wheelchair-bound Nica placed in a mental institution and framed for the murders caused by the psycho possessed doll. The mood is similar in tone as the previous film, opting for a more serious and tension building atmosphere instead of the over-the-top zaniness and black comedy elements of the films in the middle of the franchise. Brad Dourif, Fiona Dourif, Jennifer Tilly, and Alex Vincent all reprise their famous roles and Don Mancini continues to write and direct the films.

The nightmare that Nica finds herself in continues as she's transferred to a medium security mental institution after she finally admits that she was responsible for the murders of her family and not a small, scary looking doll. Dr Foley believes that being in a group setting may help her heal. Nica is quickly introduced to the staff and some of the other patients at the institution. Some seem nice while others are hostile to her being there. Much to Nica's chagrin, Dr. Foley introduces a Good Guy doll during a session, which is quickly claimed by a patient who had killed their own child. 

Nica becomes suspicious when she has a mysterious visitor stop by a present here with a second Good Guy Doll, a gift from Alice, Nica's niece. The visitor tells Nica that she was Alice's legal guardian but Alive had recently passed away. Distraught, Nica tries to kill herself that night. One of the dolls is actually Chucky, and when he finds Nica passing from her self-inflicted wounds, he decides to torment her, calling for help but leaving a message for her to find. Knowing that one of the two dolls is alive, Nica and her friend Malcom try to discover which doll is the real killer before it's too late. One by one the patients and staff die before Nica finds out the truth about the Cult of Chucky.

 

Mr. Mancini delivered a fantastic looking film for having a budget of $5 million. I found some scenes to be very beautiful and effectively filmed, and the updated effects to Chucky's facial expressions worked out well. Due to advances in technology, Mr. Mancini was able to film some aspects that he has been trying to use since "Child's Play 3".

 

Favorite moment - The movie begins with Andy trying to live a normal life and is out on a date. When it ends suddenly but not surprisingly so, he goes home and begins his usual routine...torturing a disembodied head of Chucky!

 

 

Curse of Chucky (2013)

The "Child's Play" franchise started off with a genuinely scary horror premise that slowly spiraled into self mockery and lame jokes, abandoning any real attempt at being considered a horror film. I loved the first two films, never saw the third, saw the fourth on in the theater and was disappointed by what I saw, and skipped the fifth film for obvious reasons. But when I read that the series creator/writer Don Mancini was taking the franchise back to it's roots, I had to see for myself. "Curse of Chucky" is an excellent horror film that takes it time in building up the suspense (Chucky the doll doesn't break character as Chucky the insane murderer until 45 minutes into the film!), while still honoring every movie in the franchise. Jennifer Tilly even makes an appearance that adds a special touch to the film.

Unexpectedly one day, Sarah Pierce and her paraplegic daughter Nica receive a Good Guy doll mailed to them; not knowing who it's from or why it was sent to her, Sarah tosses the doll in to a garbage bin and goes on about her day. That night Nica wakes up when she hears her mother screaming and goes downstairs to find that her mother has committed suicide with knife wounds to her stomach. The next day, Nica's sister Barb, her husband Ian, their daughter Alice, a live in nanny named Jill, and Father Frank come to the house to help Nica with arrangements and to convince Nica to sell the house. Barb is living beyond her means and demands that Nica sell the house and move into a nursing home. While Nica and Barb are having their awkward conversation, young Alice finds Chucky and brings him with her around the house. When no one is looking, Chucky begins to kill the people in the house, starting by poisoning the bowl of chili that Father Frank ate. As the the night progresses, Nica looks into the history of the Good Guy Dolls and comes across news articles about Charles Lee Ray and the association made between him and the Good Guy Doll owned by Andy Barclay. A sub-plot is revealed that Barb is having an affair with Jill and that Ian plans on proving this so he can take full custody of Alice. After Chucky has killed everyone except for Nica, he begins to explain that it was due to Sarah that he was ultimately found and shot 25 years ago, forcing him to transfer his soul into the Good Guy Doll before dying, and because of his cruel torturing of Sarah while she was pregnant is the reason why Nica was born a paraplegic. Before he can kill Nica, the police arrive on the scene and take her into custody, charging and convicting her of killing her family.