Day 5 of #31daysofhorror reviews
We all know this story right? A child’s doll becomes possessed by unimaginable evil and is obsessed with becoming a “real boy”. It’s a bloody take on Pinocchio and the “Boy who cried wolf” that spawned a horror movie icon – Chucky – and a slasher film franchise. Chunky was so ingrained in our conscious that it made my cousins run in fear of any wide-eyed, dusty doll that had no business sitting calmly in the living room! Don’t expect any of that nostalgia from this remake.
What I liked: Remakes are tough. They can modernize a story/classic and take it into different places. Sometimes that place is a ‘grounded’ interpretation, because millennials will scoff (and protest) a little people running around in suits pretending to be a doll. So the updated graphics, puppetry, and effects of this remake are very appreciated (and not at all socially offensive).
They also updated Chucky from a voodun-practicing serial killer spirit to a corrupted and malfunctioning AI program created by a disgruntled employee. I’m not sure if that was necessary because possessed dolls still scare (See Annabelle or The Boy/Brahams), but I guess white male serial killers practicing voodoo to possess souls is a bit dated.
The rest of the movie plays out in the spirit of its original. Andy (Gabriel Bateman) craves friendship and has antisocial tendencies. Karen, his single mother, played by Aubrey Plaza, gets him the coveted Chucky, and things eventually get bloody.
What I didn’t like: You can’t please all of us millennials. Something was missing in the remake for me. There were elements that could’ve added more character to Andy, which would’ve made his desperation to survive and protect his mother more palpable.
I think this is the benefit of being a reviewer with a minority perspective. You see the many layers to make something great.
For instance, Andy is hard of hearing and requires a hearing aid. This is rarely brought up and doesn’t seem to add any depth to him as a character. Andy reportedly struggles with friends and bullies. Does Chucky go after them? Not really, but they come together ala It or Stranger Things in one of the film’s closing acts. It doesn’t feel deserved or needed.
So if you’re looking for something straight slice and dice this Halloween that would go down easy, I’d recommend watching Child’s Play streaming now on Hulu with subscription.