Living With Chucky review.
Living With Chucky starts as a fun movie by movie look back at the Child’s Play franchise. Then it becomes something deeper and more emotional. A must watch for any fan of the famous killer doll…and for any fan of films, in general.
New movie reviews will not contain spoilers.
Streaming exclusively on Screambox starting April 4, 2023.
Living With Chucky
Directed by Kyra Elise Gardner
Written by Kyra Elise Gardner
Starring Brad Dourif, Fiona Dourif, Jennifer Tilly, Alex Vincent, Don Mancini and Tony Gardner
Living With Chucky Review
The promise of a Chucky documentary featuring interviews from series pillars like Don Mancini, Bran Dourif, Jennifer Tilly, Alex Vincent, David Kirschner and more is enough to excite any Child’s Play fan. And for much of Living With Chucky that is exactly what it delivers. But like the series seemingly innocent looking Good Guy doll…Director Kyra Elise Gardner has a big trick up her sleeve.
Reviewing a documentary is a strange thing. Especially one that is as specifically geared towards discussing a franchise as Living With Chucky is. There aren’t plot points or film techniques to discuss as there are in narrative films. Recapping the various stories told by interview participants would defeat the purpose of watching the documentary in the first place. What we’re really left to talk about is whether the documentary does a good job talking about the movies.
At least that’s what I thought we’d be talking about as the documentary finished its chapter by chapter recap. But then…something magical happened. Like the doll itself, Living With Chucky comes alive in its final act. What had been an interesting discussion about the making of a film series becomes something else entirely. Something personal. Something moving.
But first…about those film recaps. They’re a lot of fun. If you are a fan of the franchise there is a lot to enjoy here. Stories about the evolution of the character, what goes into creating his movement and what the individual movies were striving to be are told by the people who would know best. The two things that strike you about the interviews are how much the people involved love the project…and that they can’t believe they’ve been doing it for so long.
Always a highlight, Jennifer Tilly can’t contain her enjoyment at being a part of the franchise. She clearly loves what the movies let her do and that it somehow turned into decades of fun. Brad Dourif seems more befuddled that this not only turned into a near 35 year (and counting) job but that it is the thing he will be remembered for. Daughter, and new series star, Fiona Dourif is interviewed alongside him…and comes across amused by his fame in the matter and excited to get to play in the sandbox he created.
We also have plenty of proud papas to beam over the longevity and success of the character. Creator Don Mancini, producer David Kirchner and special effects/make-up artist Tony Gardner are on hand to walk us through the creation of the series. If that last name looks familiar…he is the father of Living With Chucky director Kyra Elise Gardner. That familial connection is what leads Living With Chucky to its third act high.
Following discussion of the final film entry in the franchise…the camera pulls back to include the director in a discussion with Fiona Dourif. They have a lot in common…both growing up with Chucky as a major part of their lives. Daughters to fathers who have been a part of creating an iconic character. Fathers whose work takes them away from home for long periods of time. The stories now change from recapping the work that has been done to discussing the cost of doing it. Stories of families forged on movie sets while loved ones are left behind. Movie families reunited time and again over the course of the series…at the cost of missed moments in the real world.
That might read like Living With Chucky becomes a sad story. It doesn’t. Gardner tackles the subject with the same admiration as she does the finished products. There isn’t a blame game or harsh judgment involved in the stories…just acknowledgments that time lost lead to some regrets. That you can pick up with work colleagues like you haven’t missed a day between movies…but you do miss the time with family that you can’t get back. It’s a refreshingly honest and emotional addition that other franchise documentaries have lacked. These are real people…and Living With Chucky treats them as such. It’s more powerful for it. Pride in accomplishments…but a true examination of what it takes to earn it.
If you are a fan of Chucky…or are interested in film production at all…Living With Chucky should be at the top of your must watch list. This would be an interesting and fun documentary if it never evolved beyond the basic beat by beat approach to discussing the series. But it does. And it becomes something new. Something great.
Scare Value
The format of Living With Chucky is a real highlight. We’ve seen the series recap segments that it begins with before. Both Freddy and Jason have received their own. Chucky’s is perfectly fine with interviews from the people you’d want to hear from sharing fond and interesting memories. It’s what comes after the documentary runs out of movies that makes this film special. Gardner’s personal relationship to the franchise uniquely positions her to break the format and turn her film into a story of the passion, sacrifice and love that has gone into creating everyone’s favorite diminutive monster. It’s that added depth, emotion, and examination of families both blood and temporary that makes Living With Chucky a must watch.
4/5
Living With Chucky Link
Streaming on Screambox
Living With Chucky Trailer
If you enjoyed this review of Living With Chucky, check out Child’s Play and Child’s Play 2
