Friday, February 02, 2024

My Review of Cult Of Chucky (2017)

 


Written And Directed by Don Mancini

Tiffany: "A true classic never goes out of style."

In some ways, this movie would represent a temporary pause of the overall continuity of the saga given that it would be followed up with a remake of Child's Play. As for the movie, well, let's look at how the previous one ended.

The previous one had Nica Pierce (Fiona Dourif) framed for Chucky's (Brad Dourif) killing of her family and she's been transferred from one institution to another. On top of that, a certain Good Guy Doll isn't done tormenting her and this movie does seem him up the ante there.

Taking an idea that had been in creator Don Mancini's back pocket for a while, this movie had fun with the idea of Chucky transferring his soul in multiple Good Guy Dolls. One which was already there and being used by a fellow patient Madeleine (Elisabeth Rosen) who's convinced it's her dead son while a visiting Tiffany (Jennifer Tilly) left another for Nica.

The asylum setting was definitely something that got utilised well enough here. You had a sympathetic gay nurse named Carlos (Zak Santiago) who was nice to Nica as a contrast to the horrendous abuse that Dr Foley (Michael Therriault) subjected her to understand hypnosis.  Foley's such a scumbag that even Chucky was disgusted with him.

Other characters in this setting included Angela (Grace Lynn Kung) - a woman who was convinced she was a ghost, the rather abrasive Claire (Marina Stephenson Kerr) and split personality addled Malcolm (Adam Hurtig). The latter made the foolish mistake into thinking he was Charles Lee Ray and definitely paid the price for it.

As for Chucky and Nica, well the former ended up in the latter's body and Andy Barclay (Alex Vincent) ended up locked in the asylum as Chucky/Nica escaped with Tiffany. Tiffany didn't seem to mind that her boyfriend was now in the body of a woman. She didn't seem to mind at all.

- Nica's niece Alice died between movies. It was implied that when Chucky possesed her, he went after someone who fought back.
- Michael Therriault who played Dr Foley would go on to appear in two different roles in the Chucky TV series.
- A post credit scene saw the return of Kyle (Christine Elise) to torture the head of Chucky that Andy had been torturing throughout the movie.
- Chronology: Four years have passed since the events of the previous, similar to the release pattern as well. 

Cult Of Chucky definitely had fun with multiple Chuckys and changing up things with the possession lore. As great as Fiona Dourif is as Nica, I have to admit that I really like her take on Chucky as well. While this might have been the last movie in terms of continuity, at least a TV series would expand greatly on the things set up here.

Rating: 8 out of 10

No comments: