A Constant Visual Feast

“Gorehounds watch slashers for the kills. They don’t watch them for consistency. Slasherdom’s dregs have their proponents; everything is someone’s jam, even I Still Know What You Did Last Summer and Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers.

But consistency is a merit worth beating a drum for, the invisible kind viewers don’t immediately notice yet gravitate toward all the same. In the big bloody bucket of horror franchises, what floats to the top for sheer constancy is Tom Holland’s Child’s Play, the story of Chucky, a Good Guy doll gone Very Bad on account of sadistic serial killer Charles Lee Ray’s (Brad Dourif) in-depth voodoo knowledge. Thirty-five years, six sequels, one USA Network show, one ill-conceived reboot, and a documentary later, fans can pick their favorite without worrying about quality. On the strength of series author Don Mancini’s assured screenwriting, all the Child’s Play movies are good.” (Full retrospective at Inverse.)