Not many people probably expected a movie about a killer doll to become such a massive success. However, that’s just what happened with 1988’s Child’s Play, which grossed $44.2 million on a $9 million budget. Those numbers were good enough to spawn a sequel, which ultimately led to the series growing and growing.
Along with a few short films, this series features eight feature-length movies and there’s a television show in production. As usual with horror franchises, not every installment has been met with praise but there’s a fun aspect to the Chucky movies that is always evident. After all, there’s a reason the character has become a horror movie icon.
8 Child’s Play 3 – 29%
By the time 1991 had rolled around, the franchise was starting to wane in popularity. After the first installment grossed the aforementioned $44.2 million, the sequel dipped, and this entry only made it to $20.5 million. This iteration sees Chucky (Brad Dourif) go after Andy, the kid who defeated him in the past.
However, Andy (Justin Whalin) is now a teenager at a military academy. Part of the issue with the lackluster reviews was that this was somewhat rushed, coming out nine months after part two. Writer Don Mancini couldn’t introduce the “multiple Chuckys” angle he wanted. Other than the technological achievements of the doll, this was panned.
7 Seed Of Chucky – 34%
Although the franchise was struggling to stay relevant as the 21st century arrived, there were still plenty of attempts to get it going again. One of them came in 2004 with the arrival of Seed of Chucky. As the title suggests, it indeed follows the exploits of Chucky’s child.
That kid is Glenda/Glen (Billy Boyd), the gender-confused offspring of Chucky and Tiffany (Jennifer Tilly). Glenda/Glen resurrects Chucky and Tiffany as a movie based on their killing-spree is underway. This grossed $24.8 million on a $12 million budget and continued the series’ foray into more of a horror-comedy genre.
6 Child’s Play 2 – 44%
Following the success of the original, the studio was eager to greenlight a sequel. Usually, sequels improve on box office numbers but Child’s Play 2 didn’t, taking in $35.8 million on a $13 million budget in 1990. Still, it was respectable enough to warrant more films.
The events of the first film sent Andy’s (Alex Vincent) mother into a mental institution and Andy lives in foster care. Chucky/Charles Lee Ray remains hot on his trail, out for revenge and to transfer his soul into Andy’s body instead of the doll. Though not widely-praised, it was called an effective slasher flick.
5 Bride Of Chucky – 46%
Due to the struggles of Child’s Play 3, the series went away for nearly a decade. It returned with 1998’s Bride of Chucky, adding something new to the franchise. Instead of focusing on a child in possession of the doll, it centers more on Chucky himself and adds Jennifer Tilly as Tiffany, his love interest.
This also marked the biggest change of them all, by leaning into the humorous elements and becoming something of a self-referential parody. It grossed $50.7 million on a $25 million budget and was boosted by the strong cast including John Ritter and Katherine Heigl.
4 Child’s Play (2019) – 64%
It’s no secret that almost everything from the past gets remade these days. Child’s Play was no different, with a new version hitting theaters in 2019. This worked as something of a modern reboot as the Chucky doll is high-tech and becomes self-aware as he terrorizes the family he lives with.
Reviews were solid with it being seen as entertaining and a bit gruesome. Things were helped along by the talented cast featuring Aubrey Plaza, Brian Tyree Henry, and the legendary Mark Hamill taking over as the voice of Chucky. It was a commercial success as well, grossing $45 million on a $10 million budget.
3 Child’s Play (1988) – 71%
In some cases, it can be difficult to top the original. 1988’s Child’s Play was nearly the case as it scored some of the best reviews of the franchise. The premise is what sets everything in motion, as a kid is gifted a Chucky doll for his birthday only to find that it is possessed by the soul of a serial killer.
Some of the reviews suggested it struggled to balance the horror with some of the wackier aspects but it was mostly a creepy slasher film that felt a bit different. To this day, fans are still prone to watch this over and over due to how outlandish it actually is.
2 Curse Of Chucky – 76%
This is something that came from out of nowhere. Since Seed of Chucky didn’t work out too well in 2004, most audience members expected that the series was wrapped up. Suddenly, 2013 saw the return with Curse of Chucky, which was the first direct-to-video entry. That allowed it the room to breathe since it didn’t have to bring in big bucks.
Again written by series creator Don Mancini, it is a family affair. Brad Dourif returns as the voice of Chucky, while his real-life daughter Fiona Dourif plays the lead character, Nica Pierce. Nica’s mother dies and she believes the Chucky doll her niece plays is responsible. It was praised for bringing back the original horror elements but keeping things playful.
1 Cult Of Chucky – 79%
The 2019 reboot probably wouldn’t have been possible without the success of the two prior entries. After 2013’s Curse of Chucky was well-received, 2017’s Cult of Chucky came around. With Mancini in the director’s chair again, it works as a perfect bit of closure for what has come before.
Plenty of characters return including Chucky, Tiffany, Andy, and Nica, as the killer doll looks to terrorize those from his past. This installment is the rare seventh entry to actually be considered good and was praised for some of the wild aspects, as well as the culmination of sorts of the entire series.
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