Killer doll Chucky was first introduced to horror audiences in 1988 in Tom Holland’s Child’s Play. It was the start of what would become one of the oddest genre franchises going. More than any other series, films starring Chucky have rebranded time and time again. He has gone from scary to silly, and back again. The impact of the serial killer trapped in a toy’s body has captured audiences’ attention for over thirty years. With such a long time in the spotlight, and the Chucky / Child’s Play movies being one of the only franchises to retain much of its core crew, those that have been present have had families. So what might it be like to grow up with Chucky as a faux sibling? That’s exactly what Kyra Gardner seeks to explain in her documentary, Living with Chucky.
Gardner is the daughter of Tony Gardner, the lead Chucky puppeteer. Gardner senior has been involved with the movies since Seed of Chucky in 2004, not long after Gardner junior was born. Kyra, therefore, has grown up in a house littered with Good Guy Dolls. The experience inspired her to create her short student film, The Dollhouse, which debuted at Arrow Video FrightFest in 2017. Living with Chucky is an extension of The Dollhouse, going into much more depth and detail.
Before getting to the more personal aspect of the documentary, Living with Chucky casts every existing (Don Mancini universe) film into the spotlight. Working through the Child’s Play films to Bride of Chucky onwards, Living with Chucky is full of interesting snippets of trivia and anecdotes. The range of interview subjects is an eclectic one. There’s the expected heavy-hitters of the series such as Don Mancini, Brad and Fiona Doruif, and Jennifer Tilly, but Marlon Wayans and Abigail Breslin also feature. Breslin gets quite a lot of screen time as she discusses the appeal of the doll and how the experience of being a child actor in a horror film is. Wayans is used more sparsely, his contributions covering Chucky’s success and the trauma of getting a movie made. The pair’s inclusion is somewhat of a curveball, but both work to a degree.
Gardner really does leave no stone unturned featuring interviews with the original Andy Barcley, Alex Vincent, and the fabulous John Waters who has a cameo in Seed of Chucky. Vincent is a vital inclusion and the documentary isn’t afraid to discuss his replacement for Child’s Play 3. The decision made business sense; the film was shot quickly after the first sequel and the story required a much older version of the character and so a recast had to happen. Hearing Vincent recount how his tween self felt is hard to watch, though it is softened as those familiar with the franchise know that he is now back on the line-up.
When discussing the movies, Living with Chucky tries not to retread ground covered in other making-of or history-of documentaries about the series. Many of the stories Gardner collects are more anecdotal than factual, offering a real peek into the world. Hearing Jennifer Tilly and Brad Dourif talk about their time recording in a booth together is touching and hilarious. The nuggets of trivia it contains are informative, and most importantly, interesting. It seems simple when you hear it, but the origin of Chucky’s human moniker of Charles Lee Ray, had passed this writer by.
In further efforts to distance itself from information that has been regurgitated time and time again, more emphasis and screen time is devoted to the films outside of the original three, starting from Bride of Chucky and working to Cult of Chucky. Explanations are given for the final departure set out in Bride of Chucky and deep analysis is given to Seed of Chucky, which was initially ridiculed. Mancini and company discuss how the project was ahead of its time thanks to its embracing of all gender forms. Seed of Chucky has had somewhat of a resurrection recently and hearing Mancini, Tilly, Dourif, and Billy Boyd, who voiced Glen / Glenda, discuss the project is fascinating. One last highlight to mention during this section are the interviews between Brad and Fiona Dourif. The pair recount how Fiona came to be part of the series; seeing and hearing how proud of his daughter Brad Dourif is melts your heart.
Once the history has been fully explored, Kyra Gardner finally announces herself and her connection to the piece. For anyone that has researched the documentary ahead of watching, this feels like far too late in the game. The tone and the direction change from this point as the questions get more personal. Living with Chucky sheds light on the aspect of filmmaking that audiences always overlook, the time taken to create them.
With many of the later sequels created on a super-tight budget, filming often happened in other countries. This meant that those on set were in not only in different countries, but also different time zones to their families, which took a toll on all involved. As Kyra explains, it wasn’t just those on set that felt the distance. With her dad involved in all the films since she was born, she reminisces about losing her father for weeks at a time and the effect that had. If these revelations are not emotional enough, hearing the cast and crew declare their love and respect for each other will get you. It’s beautiful to hear how much love exists between the group. Gardner deftly tugs on the heartstrings and there will not be a dry eye in the house come Living with Chucky’s end.
Were there to be one criticism of Living with Chucky, it would be that a stronger focus on Fiona Dourif might have helped strengthen it. Much like Gardner, Fiona Dourif grew up with Chucky, the doll being an ever-present part of her life. Her father is Chucky so she has never not been around him. With Brad Dourif having provided the vocals for Chucky since Child’s Play, her roots run deeper, and unlike Gardner, Dourif did visit some of the sets. There’s an excellent story of the trauma that she experienced seeing her father slain one day that captures the cute dynamic between both Dourif’s. Hearing more from both Dourif and Gardner junior makes sense given the title, but it’s only a minor niggle. For those wanting more, the filming of Living with Chucky wrapped just ahead of the production of season one of the Chucky television series. With the second series now well underway, there is room for some sort of continuation of Gardner’s work.
Who knew that a documentary about a film series featuring a killer doll could be so emotive? Living with Chucky will have the audience reaching for tissues thanks to its hidden depths. A documentary that gets up close and very personal with its subjects, Living with Chucky is a clear labour of love. Gardner treats her topic and subjects with respect and the whole film feels like a family reunion.
Living with Chucky
Summary
Utterly charming and heartfelt, Living with Chucky is an intimate and informative documentary that packs quite the emotional punch.
Living with Chucky was reviewed at Arrow Video FrightFest 2022.
