Cult of Chucky (2017) review

25. Cult of Chucky (2017)

Directed by: Don Mancini

Produced by: David Kirschner, Ogden Gavanski

Screenplay by: Don Mancini

Starring: Fiona Dourif, Michael Therriault, Adam Hurtig, Alex Vincent, Jennifer Tilly, Brad Dourif

The success of “Curse of Chucky” turned the “Child’s Play” franchise from awkward farce back into legitimate horror, and Don Mancini followed it by directing and writing “Cult of Chucky,” which went direct to DVD and Netflix streaming in 2017. Back when he was writing “Child’s Play 3,” Mancini’s idea was to have a plot that featured multiple Chucky (Brad Dourif) dolls, but it never came to fruition due to the budget. This time, however, Mancini got his wish, resulting in a story that’s disorienting yet strangely subdued as well; set primarily in a psychiatric hospital, it deals with Nica Pierce (Fiona Dourif) and the repercussions of Chucky’s actions in the last movie, all the while he has even more outlandish schemes in the works. This one has a slow pace and various editing gimmicks that I don’t necessarily agree with, but the cinematography and overall mood help make it another great entry.

The ending of “Curse” saw Nica being framed for Chucky’s murders of her family; we pick up four years later, as she’s been institutionalized as a schizophrenic. Through therapy sessions with Dr. Foley (Michael Therriault), she now believes herself responsible, and is transferred to a medium-security hospital. As she gets to know the various patients and their psychoses, Foley presents a Good Guy doll as a therapy technique. Soon after, another doll is given to Nica specifically by Tiffany Valentine (Jennifer Tilly), who’s been named legal guardian to Nica’s niece Alice (Summer Howell). Soon after, the patients start dying in gruesome ways; Nica realizes it’s Chucky, but Foley and the nurses don’t believe her. Elsewhere, a grown-up Andy Barclay (Alex Vincent)—who appeared in a post-credit scene in “Curse”—has been keeping the decapitated head of the original Chucky doll in his house and torturing it; getting wind of the murders, Andy goes there to help, while Nica struggles to survive Chucky’s attacks.

Two things immediately come to mind when I think of this movie, and they’re the color scheme and use of Dutch Angles. The scenes in the hospital have very muted colors; the only ones that really stand out are Chucky and Nica’s hair and Tiffany’s sweater, which presents them more visually prominent in this dreary aesthetic. It’s a grim, unrelenting reminder of how sad and terrible this situation is, while the camera angles only help with the odd, bizarre environment. However, I think some of the scene transitions and split-screen editing are a little weird, like the movie’s trying too hard to emulate Brian De Palma. But visually, there’s still much to admire, like the moment Nica is wheeling towards a door that seems to be getting further away, and just how claustrophobic it gets around her.

Speaking of Nica, you remember the last movie, where you got a vibe that she knows how much her life sucks but would still put up a front that she can handle it? Well, forget that, because all we get with this character from here on out is, “Everything is horrible, and there’s nothing you can do about it.” She’s been battered, left for dead, falsely convicted, gaslit, and sexually abused by her scumbag doctor. Her only confidant is Malcolm (Adam Hurtig), a patient with multiple-personality disorder who eventually turns on her—I don’t particularly like this storyline, by the way, it feels too random; in a moment of despondence, she actually tries to slit her wrists and die, but Chucky stops her because he has something worse in store for her. He won’t even let her put herself out of her misery, how sick is that? It’s so rough and painful to watch, but Fiona Dourif really acts the hell out of it; just the language in her face speaks volumes, as she looks more and more haggard and mentally splintered, you can definitely see traces that have made her father an Oscar nominee and a household name in the horror industry.

I was surprised by just how much the supporting cast stood out; one in particular is Elisabeth Rosen as patient Madeleine, who treats the Chucky doll as her own baby. It sounds silly, but you really feel the profound sadness with her, and even the way she’s killed presents a different layer from Chucky; not exactly compassion or mercy, but it’s something we haven’t seen before. Michael Therriault—who would be recast as Lexy’s father Nathan on the “Chucky” TV series—makes for a reprehensible Foley, again provoking a new kind of reaction from Chucky. The scenes with these patients aren’t exactly unique, but you get the sense of mass hysteria going on, and the fact that they’re all mental patients means you know they aren’t getting the benefit of the doubt. While it’s great to see Alex Vincent back as Andy, I wish his scenes packed more of an emotional punch, although I do like the fact that his attempts at revealing Chucky are dismissed as special effects, and Chucky’s digs at the notion that he’s the only one consistently in his life are appropriately cutting.

Chucky’s overall design looks more appealing than in “Curse,” and his kills are some of the most brutal yet. Claire’s (Grace Lynn Kung) death—beautifully shot, by the way—is a better version of the mirror ceiling death of the honeymoon couple in “Bride,” nurse Carlos (Zak Santiago) gets the honor of being horribly disemboweled by three Chuckys, and Foley gets an appropriately gruesome treatment, with his own foot fetish coming back to bite him in the form of high heels stomping his face until it resembles spoiled meatloaf. I think the overall pace of the movie is a little slow, the editing a little sporadic in bringing the story together, the logic confusing at times, and the dialogue a bit too clever for its own good. But on the other hand, it amounts to an unforgettable climax, one that’s tragic, insane, awful…yet strangely the most fitting and satisfying, with another post-credit surprise as the cherry on top.

I just want to take a moment and acknowledge how unlikely this is. How often does a major horror franchise in its seventh installment continue finding ways to be innovative and kick-ass without rebooting? Once in a while, there’s a new “Texas Chainsaw” or “Alien” or “Hellraiser” film, and it’s like, who gives a shit? But this is a series that people are excited to still see going on, which is a testament to Mancini, producer David Kirschner, Brad Dourif, and all the players that have come and gone and sometimes come back again over the years. Even though “Cult of Chucky” has its flaws, it’s undoubtedly chilling and effective when it hits the mark. This has been the latest film entry of the classic “Child’s Play” series; two years later, MGM released a remake of the original movie without any involvement from Mancini. However, it wasn’t the cash grab they were looking for, and 2021 saw the release of the aforementioned TV series on Syfy/USA Network that continues the story from “Cult,” with Mancini promising future theatrical installments. It remains to be seen what’s in store for Chucky, his allies and his enemies, and while I initially started off indifferent, now I’m eager for whatever twisted games await.

My rating: 7.5/10