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Child's Play

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Child's Play

R

Released Nov 9, 1988

1h 27m

Horror

Fantasy

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

75%

Tomatometer

55 Reviews

65%

Popcornmeter

250,000+ Ratings

Gunned down by Detective Mike Norris (Chris Sarandon), dying murderer Charles Lee Ray (Brad Dourif) uses black magic to put his soul inside a doll named Chucky -- which Karen Barclay (Catherine Hicks) then buys for her young son, Andy (Alex Vincent). When Chucky kills Andy's baby sitter, the boy realizes the doll is alive and tries to warn people, but he's institutionalized. Now Karen must convince the detective of the murderous doll's intentions, before Andy becomes Chucky's next victim.

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Critics Consensus

Child's Play occasionally stumbles across its tonal tightrope of comedy and horror, but its genuinely creepy monster and some deft direction by Tom Holland makes this chiller stand out on the shelf.

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Anton Bitel

Little White Lies

a Hitchcockian blend of high tension and dark comedy, with a rich seam of psychological subtext, as little Andy must decide between maternal influence and peer pressure.

Dec 23, 2023

Full Review

Nigel Andrews

Financial Times

A rip-roaring low-budget screamer.

May 14, 2020

Full Review

Dave Kehr

Chicago Tribune

The filmmakers seem more than aware of the logical and dramatic deficiencies of their material, and so they flee to that last refuge of movie scoundrels: self-conscious campiness.

Rated: 1/4

May 14, 2020

Full Review

Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

A fast-paced horror flick that benefits from fine performances and excellent visual effects.

Rated: 3/4

Apr 27, 2025

Full Review

Elisa Guimarães

Collider

Holland’s 1988 classic remains an exciting, entertaining thriller that captivates audiences, dragging them slowly to the edge of their seats.

Jan 29, 2024

Full Review

Joe Lipsett

Horror Queers Podcast

The original Chucky title features a variety of slasher set pieces, an iconic vocal performance by Brad Dourif, and surprisingly great character work by Catherine Hicks and Alex Vincent as mother and son. This film more than holds up.

Rated: 4/5

Nov 9, 2023

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Jhonathan

Amazing movie highly recommend it

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/06/23

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Neil

Classic mix of funny and sinister

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/06/23

Full Review

Jacob W

A horror classic that goes too disturbingly dark with the spiritual at times, but delivers an original and entertaining film. Particularly enjoyable are the special effects, whether Chucky is played by a costumed actor or animated by impressive animatronics. The original in the famed killer doll series is still the best. Brad Dourif brings life to the character and becomes Chucky from the get go. This was the good old days when the character was supposed to be dark and scary instead of being half comedy, and when the good guys were pure and prevailed over the evil villain in the end.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

10/14/22

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Daniel Pimienta

Massive fan of Chucky. Was awesome watching the original in a packed theatre.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/12/22

Full Review

Nick O

The legendary Brad Dourif brings Chucky to life in the greatest killer doll flick ever made!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

05/29/25

Full Review

Carlos I

Child's Play (1988) is a masterfully suspenseful horror film that excels beyond its simple premise. The murder mystery portion of the plot is handled with surprising skill, keeping viewers guessing about the true nature of Chucky's sentience. When the twist finally arrives, the film delightfully embraces a dark, bugnuts quality, it truly hits its stride, delivering a unique and darkly comedic thrill ride.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

05/27/25

Full Review

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Tom Holland

Director

Catherine Hicks

Karen Barclay

Chris Sarandon

Mike Norris

Alex Vincent

Andy Barclay

Brad Dourif

Charles Lee Ray

Dinah Manoff

Maggie Peterson

Child's Play: Official Clip - Charred Chucky

2:10

Child's Play: Official Clip - Batter Up!

1:09

Child's Play: Official Clip - Chucky Doesn't Need Batteries

2:05

Child's Play: Official Clip - This Is the End, Friend

2:13

Child's Play: Official Clip - Chucky Attacks Mike

1:48

Child's Play: Official Clip - Dr. Death's Voodoo

2:13

Child's Play: Official Clip - Frying the Doctor

2:06

Child's Play: Official Clip - Chucky Dies

1:42

Child's Play: Official Clip - You Can't Hurt Me

1:17

Child's Play: Official Clip - Chucky Escapes

2:01

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Synopsis

Gunned down by Detective Mike Norris (Chris Sarandon), dying murderer Charles Lee Ray (Brad Dourif) uses black magic to put his soul inside a doll named Chucky -- which Karen Barclay (Catherine Hicks) then buys for her young son, Andy (Alex Vincent). When Chucky kills Andy's baby sitter, the boy realizes the doll is alive and tries to warn people, but he's institutionalized. Now Karen must convince the detective of the murderous doll's intentions, before Andy becomes Chucky's next victim.

Director: Tom Holland
Producer: David Kirschner
Screenwriter: Don Mancini, John Lafia, Tom Holland
Distributor: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Production Co: United Artists
Rating: R
Genre: Horror, Fantasy, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 9, 1988, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 30, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $32.8M
Runtime: 1h 27m
Sound Mix: Surround

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