The Cult of Chucky is the seventh film in the Child’s Play franchise. Let that skin in for a moment. As a fan of the original film, I have always been a little conflicted at the various paths that this lengthy series has taken. What started out as a taut slasher film that had subtle, but effective, commentary on consumerism, has become a parody onto itself.

After going too far into the realm of satire with Seed of Chucky, the franchise has slowly been trying to reset itself. While writer-director Don Mancini does not reach the chilling levels of the earlier films, he has figured out how to effectively blend the blood lust that fans crave with the comedic beats that have become a staple in the latter films.

From a plot standpoint, all one needs to know is that this film picks up where the Curse of Chucky left off. Chucky is still causing problems for Andy Barclay (Alex Vincent once again returning to the role), whose love life has been hampered by the high number of deaths linked to his past. His main focus though is Nica Pierce (Fiona Dourif), who is locked up in a mental institution after being framed by Chucky for the murders of her family. Jennifer Tilly also returns as Chucky’s long time love Tiffany Valentine to further complicate life for Andy and Nica.

As one can expect, Mancini finds creative, and at times ludicrous, ways to get Chucky into various sections of the institution. Although the kills are not as exciting as some of Chucky’s greatest hits, and not all of the plot ideas connect, there is still a charm to the film that cannot be denied. Fitting comfortably in the middle tier, when ranking the series, Cult of Chucky is the type of film that will appeal mostly to hardcore Chucky fans. It is not groundbreaking by any means, but there is something comforting in Chucky’s ability to appeal to entertain horror fans after all these years.

Screens:
Friday, October 13, 9:15 PM, Scotiabank Theatre (director and cast in attendance)
Friday, October 13, 11:59 PM, Scotiabank Theatre

Ticket information can be found at the Toronto After Dark website.