A decent re-imagining of the 1988 classic - 5/10

by Jad Sammour

Child’s Play is the most original reboot I’ve seen in a while. It takes the concept of a killer doll that belongs to a kid given to him by his single mother - that’s pretty much what’s left of the original’s plot - and executes it in a very different and "original" way. First off, the film begins with a beautifully shot opening scene that pays homage to the original. The first act was trippy, but established a beautiful connection between the main characters. Chucky is the star of the film because he gets a character arc that is beautifully written, believable and makes sense. Comparing Chucky to the original, he lacks the charisma and humanity but Chucky here has a deeper story and one that you can sympathize with. How the whole concept of “Buddi” dolls is established and their marketing, represents our world in a very accurate way. The second act was when the film began to become more interesting but was still weak. The film had a lot of ridiculous, unnecessary, and misplaced comedy that ruins the intensityof the film. The third act however is strong and intense. Chucky gets a few good kills throughout the film. For the performances, Gabriel Bateman (Andy) delivered a great performance, Aubrey Plaza’s (Karen) performance was weak, Brian Tyree Henry was great, and the two friends that Andy makes along the way weren’t that good. Mark Hamill as Chucky was fun yet distracting but sometimes you feel he is perfect and sometimes not (there’s something that Chucky does that will get stuck in your head, but I don’t want to spoil it). The soundtrack by Bear McCreary was absolutely beautiful. Brandan Uegama's cinematography elevated the film and Lars Klevberg (the director) has done a very good job.

Unlike many horror films, this film has heart and that is shown in Andy and Chucky's relationship - how and why it becomes strong.

Unfortunately, the film fails to make Chucky scarry and very few jumpscares work.

In general, I am not very satisfied. But the film gave a new breath to Chucky and presented him in a unique way that wasn’t expected and his arc was a beautiful tragedy. Comparing it to the original, it can’t top it for me; however it’s a reboot that is done right: it doesn’t superficially reformulate the original plot; it gives a whole new experience for the audience.

“You are my Buddi, until the end. More than a Buddi, you’re my best friend.”

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