One of the more unfortunate casualties of the contemporary cinematic landscape is that we have not been given iconic horror characters on the same level as we did in previous decades. Jigsaw in the Saw franchise is perhaps the only one that carries any cultural cache, with all efforts to launch new characters not manifesting either because the films themselves are not very good, or because they never quite made much of an impact until much later (for example, the character of Sam in Trick ‘r’ Treat, a film that deserved much better), which is why horror franchises can sometimes feel far less entertaining or compelling in recent years. Yet, it is also because the genre has changed and become considerably more cerebral, and while this has artistic resonance, it does mean that we don’t have as much fun as we used to in the past when it comes to films designed to both scare and thrill. Few franchises have embodied the concept of equally terrifying and entertaining the viewer than Don Mancini’s Child Play series, which started as a relatively simple premise that proved to be successful enough to spawn multiple sequels, spin-offs and adaptations, and has firmly stood the test of time in a way that is both bewildering and delightful. The original film remains one of the most extraordinarily ambitious pieces of horror cinema of the era, as well as one that has only grown in estimation, which is why the fact that directors like William Friedkin and Robert Wise (amongst many others) turned it down felt like such an oversight – although the story was in good hands with Tom Holland, who was already well-regarded within the horror community for his work on Fright Night and has become a patron saint of underpraised horror auteurs. It’s a strange but entertaining film that knows exactly how to hold our attention. For this reason alone (in addition to some genuinely great filmmaking), it has become a worthy entry into a genre that never fails to find new ways to push the boundaries of decency without becoming perverted – although this comes eerily close.

The main criticism that emerges when modern audiences watch an older horror film comes down to the idea that they are not scary enough – this is partially true since we have seen the genre constantly push itself to be more frightening, almost as if there is a contest to find the most genuinely terrifying film. A film like Child’s Play is certainly not one to do any favours to those who want to advocate for earlier films being scary, since it isn’t particularly effective if we assert modern standards onto the story. However, audiences still tend to approach these films with some degree of hesitation, almost to the point where it feels like they are reluctant to embrace this material based on some aspect that keeps us at arm’s length. Of course, this all comes down to the fact that this series is based around the character of Chucky, who might be the most terrifying horror protagonist in history, firmly within the ranks of the likes of Freddy Krueger and Michael Myers, just far more unsettling considering his origins and how he isn’t as removed from reality as the others, who are almost mystical in their origins. This film also helps in the growing slasher film genre – it didn’t pioneer it. Still, it certainly helped consolidate it as the future of horror, albeit in a way that was quite different from what we had seen in films like Friday the 13th and A Nightmare on Elm Street, which was more about the volume of violence than the actual terror around it. Oddly selective in its choice of victims, but still quite terrifying, there is some merit to Mancini and Holland using films like Alien as an inspiration for the horror that sits at the heart of Child’s Play, with the use of implication and obscuring of the main acts of violence until midway through the film being a very effective way of raising the suspense and creating a truly haunting atmosphere. It’s not an overly complex film, but it’s certainly not one that takes any shortcuts in terms of creating a genuinely unsettling film.

Child’s Play is a film that defines the concept known as “perverting the familiar” – taking something common and recognizable, and very rarely associated with horror in the real world, and using it as the central motif. We have now grown to be inherently suspicious of dolls, which is not entirely difficult to understand, especially not when we have seen examples of supposedly haunted dolls infiltrating popular culture. Yet, there is something peculiar about a horror film based around a mass-produced toy becoming possessed with the spirit of a maniacal serial killer. As a result, Child’s Play is an ingenious work that takes a supposedly comforting concept and turns it into a work of unhinged horror, where the adorable appearance of this character conceals something much darker. In choosing the right person for the part of Chucky, the decision to bring in Brad Dourif was certainly a smart one – an actor who has made his career playing characters who are often off-centre and deeply deranged, he was a very good choice to take on the part, even if the majority of his performance is reduced to only his voice, which is still unsettling enough to fully sell the character. Casting was key, especially since it was clear that Mancini envisioned Child’s Play as the first in a series, so the right decision needed to be made in terms of how the character was defined – while it may have been possible to bring in a major name (especially since the role entailed one live-action scene and then voice over for the rest of the film), choosing someone who could embody the role, rather than just selling it based off their name, allows for consistency in the character and has proven to be a great investment, since Dourif continues to play Chucky right until the present moment, being just as entertaining today as he was when we first heard that terrifying, shrill string of profanities that makes the character so iconic and a truly unforgettable villain.

This brings us to a very important point, which is that the character of Chucky was never intended to be serious – the violence that defines this film is certainly not traditionally fodder for jokes, but if it is difficult to not look at Child’s Play as a work that is as driven by comedy as it is by horror, the two working in tandem to create quite a peculiar blend of ideas that are married together beautifully and in a way that can sometimes be unexpectedly effective. There have been efforts to redefine this film as a touching story of a mother-and-son relationship. Still, the weaker acting on the part of the two leads, coupled with the fact that the most entertaining and interesting moments of the film come in the more absurd scenarios makes it clear that Mancini had a wild idea for a horror film, and just wrote a story around it to anchor it within reality, without needing to offer too much in terms of an explanation. Rational thought is suspended in this film, but we barely even notice since the entire experience is so wildly entertaining and always captivating, enough that we can overlook the sometimes broad leaps in logic – the laws of psychics and reality do not exist in Child’s Play, but this only allows the film to become more unique, since the use of the wackiest, off-the-wall humour is integral to its overall identity, and is one of the many reasons it feels like it is doing something new, even when it is drawing from several other works. Not everything is successful, and some of the ideas do tend to feel quite dated, but these were small shortcomings in a film that is ultimately far more interested in seeing how far it can take a single strange idea before it becomes too tenuous – and unsurprisingly, we find that for the entirety of Child’s Play, we are thoroughly entertained and never once tend to feel like it is overstaying its welcome.

Thirty-five years since its release, the reason Child’s Play has been so successful is still something of a mystery, since there are elements of this film that seem to go against everything that audiences felt was necessary for a film to be effective. It isn’t even a matter of the film being a cult hit that gained a strong reputation over time – it was immediately quite successful, with audiences reacting well to its blend of wacky humour and strange, off-the-wall scenarios that make it such a wickedly entertaining work of slasher horror, which was at its peak during this time. It has good ideas that manifest well on screen, and it often feels like it is actively trying to do something new with this kind of narrative. As a horror film, Child’s Play is quite effective – we can easily unpack many different concepts relating to how certain stories evoke a true sense of fear in the viewer, which makes it clear that despite its bizarre sense of humour, Child’s Play is quite a remarkable entry into the genre, an original and insightful examination of the themes that scare us, which are often those which impinge on our domestic space. This is far more than just a strange film about a killer doll (even if the sequels have made it clear that this was the driving factor behind its creation), and we can appreciate it for its bizarre ideas that are executed with such vigour and charm. There is a reason why this has spawned several sequels across film and television, the material is strong enough to keep us invested, but also easily adaptable to different contexts. Hilariously funny and also quite complex in its motivations, Child’s Play has more than earned its place within the canon of classic horror films, for how it both scares and delights audiences in equal measure.