Dir. Don Mancini (2017)
Chucky attempts to settle old scores by hunting down some previous surviving victims.
What's better than one Chucky? Lots of them, in theory. The final film in the original Child's Play series is once again helmed by series creator, writer, and now director Don Mancini. It's a bit of a wrap-up, so to speak, as it sees the return of Alex Vincent, the original actor who played Andy, Christine Elise as Andy's foster sister Kyle, and new survivor Fiona Dourif as Curse's Nica. While the playful nature of some of the previous installments is largely absent, Mancini once again plays with the terrifying potential of being in a horrifying situation in which no one believes that things are actually happening the way that they are.
After Chucky was delivered to Andy by Tiffany at the end of Curse, Andy has captured the disembodied head and enjoys torturing him during his free time. Meanwhile, Nica is trapped in a mental institution, confined there after the deaths of her family at the hands of Chucky, for which she was blamed. Multiple Chucky dolls show up at the mental hospital, and when it becomes apparent that they each have a nefarious purpose, Nica must team up with Andy to survive a situation that none of the people in charge even believes is happening.
While Cult is a bit of a different than its predecessors, largely because it features multiple dolls possessed with the spirit of Charles Lee Ray, it's a rehash otherwise. The kills, which are numerous, don't feel particularly inventive, with one in particular being just a bloodier iteration of a kill from Bride. The rest of the film feels like a tropey "girl in mental institution isn't really crazy" flick, not necessarily an unwelcome change but one that doesn't particularly add anything to either the franchise or the genre as a whole.
The new-look Chuck worked well for Curse because it was a reboot of sorts, but it feels largely out of place in Cult. Polished Chucky lacks not only the charm but the scare factor, feeling almost CGI (though it is admittedly not) in a series known for its practical puppetry and animatronics. There's a piece of Chucky that should be a little down and dirty, and it's sorely missing from the two most recent additions to the original series. The gore, likewise, is mostly digital, as impressive as the kills often are. There are also some direct and low-hanging references to other horror films, often a welcome shoutout to fans but in this case feeling a little cheap. Cult is perhaps a little too reliant on tropes, delivering much less commentary than it does thievery from other films (even films in its own series).
Criticism aside, Cult is a well made film with some great performances. I'm a big fan of Vincent's appearances in the series, and he does a great job in this one. Fiona Dourif is likewise excellent, and while Brad Dourif doesn't get nearly as much "screentime" as he has in previous installments, he's good when he shows up. The inclusion of Tiffany is a bit mystifying, but Jennifer Tilly is always a welcome addition to any film, especially one where she plays her most iconic horror role. The other nuthouse residents, especially Elisabeth Rosen's Madeleine, are entertaining and well performed. It's just not quite enough to save a film that differs too much from its source material to feel like a welcome addition to the series.
Who this movie is for: Slasher franchise fans, Chucky completionists, Immoral physicians
Bottom line: Cult of Chucky is an attempt to wrap up the series, with fair-to-middling results. It leans a bit too heavily on genre tropes, including some straight-up ripoffs, and while the gore is pretty good, it's too little and too far between to make the film anything more than a rote sequel with some bizarre story choices. Vincent and the Dourifs (both of 'em) are great, however, and they do just enough to make the film worth a watch for fans of the franchise.
