Chucky returns to terrorize his human victim, Nica, who is confined to an asylum for the criminally insane. Meanwhile, the killer doll has some scores to settle with his old enemies, with the help of his former wife.
Cult of Chucky brings forth the premise that I thought was going to be used in Child's Play 3, but does it through entirely different means. This is Don Mancini's final film in the Chucky franchise, still handling both writing and directing responsibilities. With the rebooted film due for release tomorrow it brings an end to the "continuity" after 31 years with the same writer.
Cult of Chucky is a curious beast. The differences visually between Cult and Curse are black and white. Literally. The film is primarily based in a bright white mental asylum, with constant light, surrounded by snowy fields. It's the complete opposite of the "haunted house" we got to see in Curse. Now we have nowhere for Chucky to hide, and that leads to a lot more of the doll pretence. Chucky hiding as much as possible is for the best because, in this environment, the effects look absolutely horrendous at times. On the upside, this bright, clean, and sterile environment create a beautiful contrast when the blood starts to spill.
As was to be expected after Curse's mid and end credit scenes, Cult is the culmination of three different story arcs, We carry on Nica Pierce's story from Curse, but bring back Tiffany Valentine from Bride and Seed, and Andy Barclay returns from Child's Play 1 through 3. It brought that feeling of excitement and anticipation when you feel things finally coming together for one final climactic battle. Unfortunately, this is not it. This was not intended to be the final film, so we end up with incomplete story arcs all over the place. Yet again, the franchise starts to feel closer to the convoluted mess that the Saw franchise became.
The kills are incredibly gory, but I have to say that the creativity just isn't there in this film. A couple of the kills feel like they have been pulled straight out of Seed and Bride. This wouldn't be noticeable if you hadn't seen Seed or Bride, but then you wouldn't be able to follow the film. One of the biggest downsides of the film is that it isn't standalone. There are so many references and characters that are brought in without introduction, that it won't make sense unless you have seen the prior films.
The acting was rather variable. It was nice to see Alex Vincent return as Andy, but his acting abilities are definitely not the best. Luckily, he has very little to do in this film (in fact, he could have been cut out entirely without affecting the plot whatsoever). Jennifer Tilly returns in one of the most inauthentic performances ever. Incredibly hammy, and well, to be honest, she hasn't felt like the true Tiffany Valentine since Bride. Fiona Dourif does a great job again, though the weird choices in the script do make the climax unnecessarily messy.
Overall, the production of the film is still very high. It's on par with Curse but the set design leaves a lot to be desired. It's a nice metaphorical opposition to Curse, but in terms of visual aesthetics, it does nothing for the film. Chucky has some nice kills, but he has also started to repeat himself and has lost that wit and sadistic nature that made him standout (he's even kind of the good guy on a few occasions??). Poor acting, an unsatisfying end to the film, and no further likely sequels mean Cult of Chucky is one of the weakest in the franchise.
And don't get me started on the voodoo.