The cult is growing
I wasn’t really sold on the Curse of Chucky when I watched it on Netflix one gloomy Sunday afternoon last year. The CGI version of Chucky is cheap-looking and a lot less believable than the puppet used in most of the movies. But alas, budget cuts. CGI is now way cheaper than puppeteering, so here we are. Anyway, it’s another Sunday when I should be getting my mind ready for the work week, but instead I’m freaking myself out with movies about killer dolls. So a special long form review is hitting the Haunted Trailer Park this week: Cult of Chucky.
Cult of Chucky picks up where Curse left off, Nica, the paraplegic victim of Chucky’s psychological torture, is in a high security mental institution after being convicted of the murder of her family and then granted the insanity plea. Her good behavior and acceptance of herself as a schizophrenic and thus the murderer of her family leads to her being transferred to a medium security mental institution. This place is much nicer, with a super stark futuristic thing going on and a middle of nowhere vibe.
The movie actually starts with our poor favorite Andy, who goes on a bad date and returns home to the original head of Chucky, his “friend to the end” that he tortures every night as punishment for ruining Andy’s life. At one point in the movie Andy actually brings the Chucky head to Dr. Foley to try to proclaim Nica’s innocence, but Dr. Foley dismisses the head as “special effects.” I really don’t like this doctor guy, honestly.
In the first group session at the new institution, one of the schizophrenic patients lets Nica know that Chucky is coming for her, which of course makes Nica lose her shit and laugh hysterically. I would too if a crazy lady told me the doll that killed my family and ruined my life was going to be dropping by office hours. Later that same day, of course, Tiffany AKA Jennifer Tilly AKA I don’t even know which she claims to be most of the time, shows up to let Nica know that her neice Alice is dead. For those of you who didn’t watch Curse, Alice was the only one left alive after Chucky killed the rest of the Pierces. She was 12 when she died, most likely at the hands of Jennifer. Jennifer somehow ended up as Alice’s guardian.
Dr. Foley decides that a good way for the group to deal with Nica’s arrival and allegedly murderous past is to introduce a Good Guy doll for them to interact with. This Good Guy doll just happens to be named Chucky as well. Apparently when the dolls were mass produced in the 80s, 2% of them were named Chucky. And he got a Chucky on purpose. Okay. Anyway, I forgot to mention that when Jennifer aka Tiffany visits Nica, she gives Nica the Chucky doll that belonged to Alice (though it was promised that it wasn’t the same doll found at the crime scene where the family died. Okay). Nica rejects the doll and zooms away in her wheelchair, very upset obviously that her only living relative is now dead.
Now there are 2 Chucky dolls, this is when it gets insane. At first, Nica is convinced that one of the dolls is evil and the actual murdering Chucky doll. TURNS OUT, both of them are possessed and capable of murder. What?! The original Chucky doll possessed the other one using that Latin spell thing from the original movies, and he’s spreading himself from doll to doll. They’re mass producing murderers! It even goes so far that Malcolm the guy with multiple personality disorder adds a new personality of Charles, aka the full name of the serial killer that possessed the OG Good Guy doll in the first place.
Oh and I didn’t even get to the fact that this asshole Doctor guy is um...IN LOVE with Nica? He hypnotizes her to try to “extract the truth” about the murders but instead alludes to the fact that in the past he’s used the hypnosis time to take advantage of Nica sexually. GROSS. And when it looks like she’s going to be framed for the murders again (because multiple people at the asylum start dying), he’s upset that she won’t get to stay at the nicer asylum with him where he could give her “more personalized attention.”
This movie is just so ridiculous. Thanks to “Voodoo for Dummies,” I guess Chucky found a doll that allowed him to possess multiple dolls at once. Three Chucky dolls, and three times the fun. And the dialogue. Always a laugh. I should hate him but the one liners are just so on point in this movie.
Andy decides to commit himself to the asylum, I guess as an attempt to help/save Nica but also take care of Chucky since he realized that there was more than one doll (the original head kind of let it slip). So at this point in the movie the dolls are fighting over who gets to kill Andy. AND THEN TIFFANY SHOWS UP AGAIN. She kills a guard and has the doll version of herself with her, I’m not sure why.
Chucky won’t kill Nica, and I guess it’s because he wants to use her. Seems like a lot of work honestly, I don’t get why she’s so special to him. He finally uses the Voodoo for Dummies spell to possess her, and miracle upon miracles she can walk again! She’s all Chucky now, and she proceeds to smash Dr. Asshole’s face in while wearing the red heels he put on her a little earlier.
And it turns out that Malcolm wasn’t actually possessed by Chucky, he just wanted to be. He even kills a nurse and says he’s Charles, but of course, no one calls him that. Charles always goes by Chucky. And Nica as Chucky reveals that to him, causing him to have a little multiple identity crisis. So then one of the other Chucky dolls kills him while Nica Chucky of course cracks up laughing.
Honestly, I’m kind of digging the murderous Thelma and Louise vibes at the end of the movie. It basically ends with Human Tiffany and NicaChucky kissing, and leaving in the car. And them laugh hysterically, along with the Tiffany doll who is also alive. What?! Are we getting another movie?! I need it! I’m so confused!
Oh and 4/5 ghosties. This movie was insane.