Since the franchise’s debut, the Child’s Play/Chucky films have gone on quite the journey. Starting life as a supernatural-tinged slasher following a young boy and his murderous Good Boy doll (containing the soul of a serial killer, naturally), the series has gone meta, weird and has now ended up as one of the best shows currently on television. It is therefore ripe for a documentary chronicling this journey. Step forward Living with Chucky, which performs this task (and then some).
Kyra Elise Gardner’s journey through the franchise is warm, inviting and exhaustive enough to please any fan. The Chucky of it all is extensive behind-the-scenes footage and talking heads with key figures of the films as well as famous fans. The Living with draws off the key theme of family - both the makeshift group of creatives that have joined and followed the series since its debut and the actual ones that have become a fixture of it. Gardner herself is the daughter of Tony Gardner, one of the more prominent figures on the special effects team that has been so integral to the success of this slasher gem. And the last two films and TV show have included Fiona Dourif, daughter of the voice of Chucky himself, Brad. Both subjects are covered in an amusing, heartwarming fashion.
It has to be said this is a rather uncritical look at the series. If you’re not a fan of where Chucky has gone you’ll probably find this a tad unengaging. The film skirts (wisely) round the controversy that surrounded Child’s Play 3 and doesn’t really touch on the shift of personnel that saw Tony Gardner take over the team. Even the ever-reducing budgets the series has had to go through before its move to TV is given a more positive spin then one might expect.
But I can’t deny the emotional impact this work has. As a fan of Chucky in all his iterations I loved my time in the company of this sprawling horror family. Access is key to this kind-of documentary and it’s wonderful to give such time to both the actors and directors but also other figures of the Chucky story. Gardner’s direction is delicate, her choices well-judged and I’d be curious what story she could tell of a franchise she hasn’t grown up with. Living with Chucky is both a beautiful love letter to one of the great horror franchises and a calling card for a new talent in documentaries.
Long may both continue.
Kyra Elise Gardner’s journey through the franchise is warm, inviting and exhaustive enough to please any fan. The Chucky of it all is extensive behind-the-scenes footage and talking heads with key figures of the films as well as famous fans. The Living with draws off the key theme of family - both the makeshift group of creatives that have joined and followed the series since its debut and the actual ones that have become a fixture of it. Gardner herself is the daughter of Tony Gardner, one of the more prominent figures on the special effects team that has been so integral to the success of this slasher gem. And the last two films and TV show have included Fiona Dourif, daughter of the voice of Chucky himself, Brad. Both subjects are covered in an amusing, heartwarming fashion.
It has to be said this is a rather uncritical look at the series. If you’re not a fan of where Chucky has gone you’ll probably find this a tad unengaging. The film skirts (wisely) round the controversy that surrounded Child’s Play 3 and doesn’t really touch on the shift of personnel that saw Tony Gardner take over the team. Even the ever-reducing budgets the series has had to go through before its move to TV is given a more positive spin then one might expect.
But I can’t deny the emotional impact this work has. As a fan of Chucky in all his iterations I loved my time in the company of this sprawling horror family. Access is key to this kind-of documentary and it’s wonderful to give such time to both the actors and directors but also other figures of the Chucky story. Gardner’s direction is delicate, her choices well-judged and I’d be curious what story she could tell of a franchise she hasn’t grown up with. Living with Chucky is both a beautiful love letter to one of the great horror franchises and a calling card for a new talent in documentaries.
Long may both continue.