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Curse of Chucky follows Nica Pierce (Fiona Dourif), a young woman whose family starts being haunted by Chucky (Brad Dourif). Released 9 years after the batshit craziness of Seed of Chucky, the film brings the franchise back into the horror basics of the original with a mostly dark and somber tone. As much as I enjoyed the silly shenanigans of Bride and Seed, this is a change I really appreciated.
Aside from the tone, the film has a very patient pace. Mancini really takes his time to build up suspense and create a sense of dread. It even makes you wonder if this is a Child's Play film at all, cause Chucky doesn't really reveal himself until almost the halfway mark. Although that might seem like a bad thing, I really enjoyed the tension and fear that oozes through that first half of the film.
Another thing I thought worked great was to keep the setting in one place. By keeping all the characters inside one house, it adds a sense of claustrophobia that works great for the premise. In addition, Mancini makes some great use of lights and shadows, and how he shoots Chucky that added a lot to the film. All of this, mixed with the inner conflicts within Nica's family made for a very edge-of-your-seat experience.
But special kudos have to go to Fiona Dourif, Brad's daughter who's picking up the mantle from him in a way. Somebody once told me how Jennifer Tilly was "the best thing that has happened to this franchise", but I would say Fiona is a close second. She is great in the lead role, providing a nice mixture of strength and vulnerability, making it easy to root for her. I know a lot of people had issues with a certain twist that is brought up in the last act, but I thought it was a nice reveal.
After five films in 25 years, with shifts in tone and lead characters, it's surprising that a franchise about a possessed killer doll could reinvent itself once again, and keep going. This entry in particular is one that I enjoyed a lot, and is probably my second favorite of the franchise. I know it sounds nuts, but that doll- I think there's something in it.
Grade:
CURSE OF CHUCKY
(2013, Mancini)
(2013, Mancini)
"Look, I know that this sounds nuts, but that doll- I think that there's something in it!"
Curse of Chucky follows Nica Pierce (Fiona Dourif), a young woman whose family starts being haunted by Chucky (Brad Dourif). Released 9 years after the batshit craziness of Seed of Chucky, the film brings the franchise back into the horror basics of the original with a mostly dark and somber tone. As much as I enjoyed the silly shenanigans of Bride and Seed, this is a change I really appreciated.
Aside from the tone, the film has a very patient pace. Mancini really takes his time to build up suspense and create a sense of dread. It even makes you wonder if this is a Child's Play film at all, cause Chucky doesn't really reveal himself until almost the halfway mark. Although that might seem like a bad thing, I really enjoyed the tension and fear that oozes through that first half of the film.
Another thing I thought worked great was to keep the setting in one place. By keeping all the characters inside one house, it adds a sense of claustrophobia that works great for the premise. In addition, Mancini makes some great use of lights and shadows, and how he shoots Chucky that added a lot to the film. All of this, mixed with the inner conflicts within Nica's family made for a very edge-of-your-seat experience.
But special kudos have to go to Fiona Dourif, Brad's daughter who's picking up the mantle from him in a way. Somebody once told me how Jennifer Tilly was "the best thing that has happened to this franchise", but I would say Fiona is a close second. She is great in the lead role, providing a nice mixture of strength and vulnerability, making it easy to root for her. I know a lot of people had issues with a certain twist that is brought up in the last act, but I thought it was a nice reveal.
After five films in 25 years, with shifts in tone and lead characters, it's surprising that a franchise about a possessed killer doll could reinvent itself once again, and keep going. This entry in particular is one that I enjoyed a lot, and is probably my second favorite of the franchise. I know it sounds nuts, but that doll- I think there's something in it.
Grade: