Cult of Chucky

Though not quite up to the level of its immediate predecessor, Cult of Chucky is nevertheless a strong entry that takes the series in decidedly unexpected (and not always successful, admittedly) directions. The story follows Fiona Dourif’s Nica, now residing in a mental hospital, as she becomes convinced that Chucky (Brad Dourif) has come looking for revenge, with the movie detailing Nica’s ongoing efforts at convincing staff and patients alike of Chucky’s murderous intentions. Filmmaker Don Mancini does a thoroughly impressive job of immediately drawing the viewer into the deliberately-paced proceedings, as Cult of Chucky opens with a strong (and crowd-pleasing) stretch detailing the grizzled exploits of Alex Vincent’s Andy Barclay and his determination to inflict some torture on his seemingly unstoppable foil – with the movie, past that point, segueing into a midsection primarily devoted to the slow-moving happenings within the aforementioned mental hospital. And although Mancini infuses the proceedings with heavy doses of style – eg a De Palma-esque use of split-screen – Cult of Chucky, hindered by an emphasis on is-it-real-or-is-it-just-a-dream type sequences, feels like it’s spinning its wheels for much of its second act and the film doesn’t become wholeheartedly engrossing until its fun and thoroughly gory final stretch – although it’s hard to deny that Mancini’s decision to play with Chucky’s voodoo powers is questionable at best (ie his newfound abilities seem excessively unbelievable, even for this series). The end result is as erratic a followup as exists in this long-running franchise, and yet it’s difficult not to strenuously hope that another installment is forthcoming sooner rather than later.

**1/2 out of ****