Child’s Play (1988)
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A mother's gift of a Good Guy doll becomes a nightmare when the toy is inhabited by the soul of a serial killer.
The story
After a serial killer known as the 'Lakeshore Strangler' is cornered in a toy store, he uses a voodoo spell to transfer his soul into a Good Guy-brand doll. The doll, which becomes known as Chucky, is purchased by a widowed mother for her young son, Andy. While the mother is away, the doll comes to life and attacks her friend. As the mother and a local detective investigate the incident, they must confront the reality that the doll is not a mere toy, but a vessel for a murderous spirit seeking to claim its next victim.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
After serial killer Charles Lee Ray is cornered in a toy store, he uses voodoo to transfer his soul into a Good Guy doll. The doll is purchased by Karen Barclay for her son, Andy. The doll, Chucky, comes to life and kills Karen's friend, Maggie. Detective Mike Norris investigates and initially suspects Andy. Chucky takes Andy to a nearby area where it kills a man named Caputo. Karen eventually realizes the doll is moving on its own and tries to destroy it, but Chucky attacks her and escapes. Norris eventually discovers the truth about the doll's origin from a voodoo instructor, John 'Dr. Death' Bishop. Chucky then targets Andy at a psychiatric hospital, eventually attempting to possess the boy's body. In a final confrontation, Karen and Norris manage to trap Chucky, and after a series of violent encounters, Norris finally kills the doll by striking it through the heart.
- First release year
- 1988
- Runtime (minutes)
- 87
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Tom Holland
- Writers
- Don Mancini · screenplay; John Lafia · screenplay; Tom Holland · screenplay; Don Mancini · story
- Cast and characters
- Catherine Hicks · Karen Barclay; Chris Sarandon · Detective Norris; Alex Vincent · Andy; Brad Dourif · Charles Lee Ray
- Genres
- supernatural slasher; horror
- Themes
- supernatural; parental protection
- Tone and mood
- scary; darkly funny
- Premise and plot tags
- killer doll; voodoo; slasher
- Franchise connections
- Child's Play
- Reception
- The film received generally positive reviews from critics and gained a cult following.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 64% · scale: percentage · review count: 95
- Production trivia
- The original script was titled 'Batteries Not Included'.; The character's name was changed from 'Buddy' to 'Chucky' to avoid a lawsuit from Hasbro.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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