Cult of Chucky review

By: Justin Hopkins 

 Four years removed from an actual successful trip to straight-to- dvd Curse of Chucky. Cult of Chucky follows in its footsteps. Picking up four years later. Bringing back not only Fiona Dourif’s Nica Pierce, but also Child’s Play alumni Alex Vincent’s Andy Barclay.  Was a little worried sitting down to watch. Thinking Curse may have been a fluke.  Proving me wrong in a hurry though. Sticking to its horror roots, with graphic murders and dark humor. Adding an immense psychological thriller edge.  Leaving you holding your breath. Trying to piece together what was going on, but stayed ahead until the stunning conclusion.

 Beginning with Andy.  Showing his date failing due to his dark past. Seeing him return home,  where he was living in seclusion, with Chucky’s mutilated head, still alive, to torture. Meanwhile, after years of intense and electro therapy.  Nica is transferred to a medium security institution. Caving to the belief that she had killed her family. Kind of cliche that the shrink would bring in a Good Guy Doll, but then Tiffany brings one in, and another shows up. Bodies begin to mount up quickly, and Nica starts to question everyone and everything around her. Whether she’s crazy or not, and if she’s not, then which doll, is a doll, and which is Chucky. With Andy racing to the rescue and more and more questions piling up. Blossoming into a shocking conclusion. With a Cameo from Summer H. Howell’s Alice and the Tiffany Doll from Bride and Seed of Chucky.

 The settings were perfect in their simplicity. Majority taking place withing the institution. The pristine white wall and sanitary surfaces. Creating a sense of claustrophobia and distortion, despite being bigger then what it appeared. Subtly adding to the psychological aspect of how alone and outnumbered Nica was. To the confinement and tense atmosphere of the Psychiatrist’s Office and Patient’s Rooms.

 The supporting cast did a wondeful job in the back. Zak Santiago, Elisabeth Rosen, Grace Lynn Kung, and the rest of the patients made you care enough to feel for them when their deaths come up. While you enjoyed seeing the Psychiatrist Michael Therriault get what was coming to him. Alec Vincent seemlessly stepped back into the role of Andy, and Brad Dourif added another awesome addition to voicing Chucky. Jennifer Tilly was fun to see. The real star of this movie was Fiona Dourif.

 She nailed it as Nica in Curse and leapt leaps and bounds in Cult. Sucking you in to her world and made the audience feel every once of emotions she went through. Cheering her on when she got into trouble and despite the circumstances behind it; was delighted to see her get her vengence on her perverted, villainous Doctor. Showing she was a great addition and fully capable of carrying the film with her into the future.

 Hats off to Don Mancini and everyone involved. The plot could have been a circus and ended in disaster and phoned it in, but produced a fantastic sequel, with plenty of room to keep going into the future.  Check it out now on Netflix or Dvd.