HORROR
Child’s Play: A Creditable Attempt To Breathe New Life Into The Chucky Franchise
What’s your name?
Andy. ‘Sup?
Hi, Andysup.
It seems like a lifetime ago since I saw the original film with the demonic pop Chucky dangerously swinging around with a razor-sharp butcher knife. Well, It’s not a hundred years, but thirty years is a long time as well. That’s how long it’s been since I went to get the VHS of this movie in the local video store. Apparently several sequels have been made after the initial release. Somehow I’ve missed that. Me and sequels. It remains an eternal struggle. Because there wasn’t anything better to choose from and I had nothing to do, I still took the risk and watched this modern version. Apart from the fact that the doll looks slightly different, has been given a different name and the reason for its malicious behavior has changed slightly, it was exactly as if I went back in time. “Child’s Play” has the same 80s horror mood.
A pimped version.
But first of all a big compliment to the makers of this pimped version. Most reboots or remakes just seem like a duplicate of the original. Here they really deviate from the original story. It’s not the soul of a serial killer that transforms the doll into a bloodthirsty, diabolical murderous toy. Here it’s an aggrieved and irritated Chinese factory worker who starts to mess with the security software out of revenge. To be honest, I felt like giving up at that moment. A ragged and clearly unkempt Chinese guy reprogramming the source software was, in my eyes, completely absurd and exaggerated. Fortunately, I persisted. Because all in all “Child’s Play” wasn’t so bad.
Don’t expect creepiness.
What disappointed me a bit, was the doll itself. Especially the transformation from good to evil. In the original film, Chucky did get a diabolical and cruel expression. In this movie, they wanted to achieve the same effect by providing Buddi (as this child-friendly babysitter is now called) with red-glowing eyes. Well, it wasn’t really scary. And to be honest, this film isn’t creepy at all. I thought it was rather entertaining horror material, suitable for the novice horror enthusiast. Don’t expect any nasty-looking killings either. You’ll see clichéd situations where circular saws and a lawnmower (or something like that) are used in. The favorite murder instruments from the 80s.
Acceptable acting.
The acting was generally acceptable. Only Aubrey Plaza as Andy’s mother wasn’t really convincing. To be honest, she seemed to be the sister of Andy (Gabriel Bateman), the introverted boy with a hearing problem. David Lewis played the most annoying character. That means you can say that his acting was successful. The most light-hearted and comical part was provided by Brian Tyree Henry as police officer Mike, who lives with his mother. It’s not only the mother-son correlation that sometimes causes hilarious moments. There are also slapstick-like scenes, such as the gift-wrapped item (Well, I try to stay vague about this) that falls into the hands of Mike’s mother by mistake. Most surprising in this film was the fact that Mark Hamill (Yes, Luke Skywalker himself) was responsible for Chucky’s dialogues.
A nice time-killer.
In the end, this was a creditable attempt to breathe new life into the Chucky franchise. This modernized version is not an epic film but is anything but bad. It even tries to portray a failing A.I. and point out the dangers of a robotic society. And actually, what Chucky is doing, is simply the result of a learning process that he undergoes in the company of Andy. If the latter makes a remark that he would rather get rid of the cat Mickey Rooney, you already know the verdict. In the end, Chucky is nothing more than an electronic gadget that ignores the robotics laws of Asimov. It’s not really impressive or exciting at all. But “Child’s Play” was a nice time-killer.
My rating 6/10
Links: IMDB
Zach Cregger’s Resident Evil is wasting little time making its mark on the long-running horror franchise.
The new film earned $8.8 million from Thursday preview screenings, setting a new preview box office record for the Resident Evil film series. The strong start comes as the reboot officially arrives in theaters today, September 18.
Directed by Cregger, the filmmaker behind Barbarian and Weapons, the latest adaptation is now expected to deliver the biggest domestic opening weekend in franchise history. Current projections have the film targeting roughly $40 million to $50 million, with some estimates suggesting the strong reception could push the total even higher.
The previous franchise high for a domestic opening belonged to Resident Evil: Afterlife, which debuted with approximately $26 million in 2010.
The box office numbers aren’t the only major win for the reboot.
Zach Cregger’s Resident Evil
As of Friday, Resident Evil holds an impressive 96% Tomatometer score on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 146 critic reviews, making it easily the best-reviewed live-action movie in the franchise. The film has also opened to strong audience reception, currently holding a 91% verified audience score.
That marks a dramatic turnaround for a franchise that has historically struggled with critics despite maintaining a sizable fanbase and becoming a major box office property.
Cregger’s film introduces an original story rather than directly adapting one of the games. Austin Abrams stars as Bryan, a medical courier whose routine delivery quickly becomes a fight for survival as he finds himself caught in a night of chaos and infected creatures.
The cast also includes Zach Cherry, Kali Reis, Johnno Wilson and Paul Walter Hauser.
With franchise-record preview numbers and the strongest reviews the series has ever received, Resident Evil is entering its opening weekend with considerable momentum.
Resident Evil is now playing in theaters.
HORROR
Jason Voorhees Returns in Bloody New Crystal Lake Trailer
Set in 1971, Crystal Lake follows Pamela after Jason disappears in the waters of Crystal Lake and his body is never recovered. As Pamela continues to believe her son could still be alive, two strangers begin investigating her past, setting off a series of increasingly disturbing and violent events.
Jason Voorhees is back.
Peacock has released the bloody new trailer for Crystal Lake, A24’s upcoming Friday the 13th prequel series, and the latest footage appears to tease the early beginnings of one of horror’s most iconic killers.
The series stars Linda Cardellini as Pamela Voorhees and takes audiences back decades before the events of the original Friday the 13th. But while much of the story will explore Pamela and the tragedy surrounding her son, the new trailer makes it clear that Jason himself will have a major presence.
Among the trailer’s most intriguing moments is a shot appearing to show a young Jason wearing a blue jumpsuit and attacking someone with a knife. Other footage further teases the character’s transformation toward the Jason Voorhees horror fans know.
Callum Vinson portrays the young Jason in the series.
Jason Voorhies, Crystal Lake [A24]
Set in 1971, Crystal Lake follows Pamela after Jason disappears in the waters of Crystal Lake and his body is never recovered. As Pamela continues to believe her son could still be alive, two strangers begin investigating her past, setting off a series of increasingly disturbing and violent events.
The series comes from creator, writer and showrunner Brad Caleb Kane, with A24 producing for Peacock.
Rather than simply recreating the original films, Crystal Lake looks to expand the mythology surrounding the Voorhees family while showing audiences a side of Jason’s story that has largely remained unexplored on screen.
And judging by the new trailer, Jason’s path toward becoming the legendary Crystal Lake killer may begin sooner than fans expected.
Crystal Lake premieres October 15 on Peacock.
The upcoming Resident Evil movie is getting one of the strangest theater collectibles we have seen yet.
Regal has revealed its official popcorn promotion for Zach Cregger’s Resident Evil, but instead of another oversized plastic popcorn bucket, the theater chain is leaning directly into the movie’s medical horror.
Fans will be able to pick up a Resident Evil Organ Transplant Popcorn Bag, designed to look like the type of medical transport container used to carry human organs.
Yes, your popcorn is apparently the organ.
The collectible comes with a large popcorn and features Resident Evil branding along with a medical inspired design. Regal joked about the promotion by telling fans that the heart is not included.
It is an appropriately bizarre piece of merchandise for Cregger’s take on the long running horror franchise, which appears ready to push the violence and gore considerably further.
Need a transplant? We recommend this popcorn bag 🫀🍿
Get your hands on the Resident Evil Organ Transplant Popcorn Bag when you see Resident Evil at Regal. Tickets are on sale now: https://t.co/vqcCWmIw27 pic.twitter.com/x8J4grtVsk
— Regal (@RegalMovies) September 1, 2026
A New Resident Evil Nightmare
The new Resident Evil stars Austin Abrams as Bryan, a medical courier who finds himself caught in a horrifying fight for survival as a seemingly routine night descends into chaos.
The cast also includes Zach Cherry, Kali Reis, Paul Walter Hauser, and Johnno Wilson.
Cregger has previously described the movie as the most violent project he has made and promised fans a brutal and bloody experience. The filmmaker is coming off Weapons and is approaching Resident Evil as a new interpretation of Capcom’s iconic survival horror franchise.
The Organ Transplant Popcorn Bag will be available at Regal theaters in conjunction with the movie’s release.
Resident Evil infects theaters September 18, 2026.
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