Curse of Chucky

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I have gone ahead and claimed this particular chapter of 'Chucky' as my personal favourite. I've always considered Chucky to be on among the weaker side of horror villains. I mean, he's a doll. It never made sense to me that he could be much of a threat. Sure, he could get a few good jabs in, but logically, you should be able to stop him. So, when it comes to the haunted/possessed evil doll, turning the creep-factor up is what makes it scarier, and this does go back to its roots.

We start off here with a brand new cast, introducing paraplegic, Nica Pierce (Fiona Douriff - Brad's daughter) and her mother (Chantal Quesnelle). They receive a mysterious package in the mail, and upon opening it, Chucky is revealed, and given to Alice (Summer Howell), the daughter of Nica's sister, Barb (Danielle Bisutti) and husband, Ian (Brennan Elliott) who come by to stay for a little while, after Nica suffers through a major tragedy. Things start happening around the house, and it goes back to the old "Chucky did it" or "Chucky said it" ways of the first film - which was part of what made it creepy to begin with. He does come to life in this as usual. But I find something more sinister with this incarnation of Chucky - I daresay, better.

Another thing to admire about this chapter was the cinematography. There was something about the way this was filmed, using light to its advantage, as well as certain perspectives that just added to the horror aspect of everything. It's a true breath of fresh air from the horror comedies we recently sat through. Those were okay for a time when horror was becoming self aware and silly, but eventually that got old, and things needed to get eerie again. And I think 'Curse of Chucky' delivers it very nicely as a bit more of a haunted house film than a straight up slasher flick.

A lot of this movie is just creepy and slow-paced, and it does a very good job of upping the suspense level. I further admire how a lot of the kills in this aren't entirely predictable. You'll easily assume something's gonna go one way, but then we're surprised by something else taking the victim out. That's something I've always appreciated a great deal when it comes to horror; making something seemingly predictable and catching us off guard. The last time I saw it done this well was probably 'The Final Destination'.

We eventually get to see how this one connects with all of the previous films as well, as eventually, previous characters start popping up around the end of things. There's also a stinger to this one, that sets up the next movie, but allows the whole thing to just end if you so choose. The film, as a whole, is a pretty great smorgasbord for fans of the franchise. It refers back to the previous films, there's plenty of fan service, nostalgia, and it's a great balance of fun and scary. But it does it without becoming a horror comedy. It's nice to see it go back to its roots, and perhaps be even creepier than the original.

Body Counts: Chucky - 8, Tiffany - 1
Totals: Chucky - 37, Tiffany - 8

4/5

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