Living with Chucky

2022

1 hr. 40 min.

Documentary

Horror

List

72%

25 Reviews

Tomatometer

80%

Fewer than 50 Ratings

Audience Score

Living with Chucky takes an in depth look at the groundbreaking Child's Play franchise from the perspective of a filmmaker who grew up within it. Featuring interviews with cast and crew such as Brad Dourif, Jennifer Tilly, Alex Vincent, creator Don Mancini, and much more, this personal film recounts the dedication, creativity and sacrifice that went into making the franchise and its long-lasting impact on the horror community. Storming into pop culture in the late 1980s, the three-foot menace known as Chucky, proved that Child's Play was anything but. The horror film went on to spawn six sequels, a television series, a reboot, comic books, a video game and merchandise. Written and directed by Kyra Elise Gardner, daughter of legendary special effects artist Tony Gardner, Living With Chucky looks back at the groundbreaking horror franchise by those there from the beginning. The documentary details the history of the Child's Play films by the cast and crew, in addition to Gardner's own relationship with the series and the impact it had on her family. Gardner, who grew up alongside Chucky the killer doll, seeks out other families involved with the Child's Play films as they recount their experiences working on the franchise and what it means to be a part of the "Chucky" family.

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Premiered Mar 19

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Critics Consensus

While it may lack the twisted pizzazz of the franchise it chronicles, Living with Chucky is a mostly engaging primer on everyone's favorite homicidal plaything.

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Valerii Ege D

A sweet documentary that doesn't add anything new to what is already known. The fact that the team has turned into a family over time is one of the biggest secrets in the success of the series.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

11/26/23

Full Review

Audience Member

It's been 34 years since Chucky the killer doll graced the screens becoming one of the most notorious slashers in horror This documentary by Kyra Elise Gardner covers the impact Chucky had left on horror fans and pop culture Much of the cast and crew from all the movies and the tv series give their honest views of how the franchise has shaped their lives not just their careers Creators Don Mancini, David Kirschner, directors Tom Holland, John Lafia, Jack Bender, Ronny Yu, and even stars like Brad Dourif, Fiona Dourif, Alex Vincent, Jennifer Tilly, Christine Elise, John Waters, Billy Boyd each share the experiences they had filming each installment in the long-running series Everything from the casting to the puppeteering to the box office and critical reception is covered too Chucky is immortal yet each movie has had its subsequent share of diminishing returns as far as budget and quality The character is an underdog in a way and can get the job done still There's definitely something terrifying about a child's toy coming to life trying to kill you, let's face it dolls have been creepy since the beginning of time It's also not the first time killer dolls have entered the visual medium The LGBTQIA community has also resonated with the horror genre The fan base is so strong too donning costumes, cosplays, conventions, makeup tutorials, artwork, tattoos, and it's brought many horror lovers together A very good documentary if lengthy proving someone like Chucky can have us coming back for more

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

10/17/23

Full Review

Dayne R

A brilliant documentary showcasing the birth of Chucky and how it all began! I loved it so much and it was incredible to see the cast and crew. I'm loving the series so far too and I'm glad it's shot with animatronics and not cgi.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/25/23

Full Review

Keegan S

This so-called "documentary" is made not for the fans of the Child's Play franchise but rather instead a documentary about all about the daughter of the guy who makes the Chucky animatronics for the newer films. They repeat the same things and stuff that we know about the franchise and barely mention the people who made Chucky actually scary. Overall this documentary shouldn't have been made in the first place and the Chucky franchise should end asap or be given to somebody who can take the franchise seriously.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

06/05/23

Full Review

Peter W

Overall, growing up, I was always a fan of Chucky and the Child's Play franchise. Living with Chucky goes on a highly insightful journey into the creation of the famous horror icon, starting with the first film. Thankfully, the documentary focuses on more than a popular film franchise and a horror icon. Plenty of interviews here give great details about the franchise, and the insights generally surprised me, and I enjoyed them immensely. There's also a heartful story behind this film, which surprised me, and while I found this unexpected, it also felt highly fitting and rewarding. Ultimately, I was left not only feeling educated and obtaining more knowledge about Chucky, but I was given a touching reason to make the documentary much more substantial than anything I've seen in some time!

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

04/20/23

Full Review

Brad P

Documentary Celebrates ‘Chucky' Franchise as a Family Affair

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

04/07/23

Full Review

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Kyra Elise Gardner

Director

Don Mancini

Self

Brad Dourif

Self

Jennifer Tilly

Self

Tony Gardner

Self

David Kirschner

Self

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Phil Hoad

Guardian

Chucky aficionados might appreciate the reverence, but the analysis rarely rises above promotional level.

Rated: 2/5

Apr 21, 2023

Full Review

Erik Piepenburg

New York Times

Feels like hagiographic DVD featurettes meanderingly stitched together.

Apr 4, 2023

Full Review

Meagan Navarro

Bloody Disgusting

It’s not just a thoughtful documentary that reflects upon the franchise’s legacy; it celebrates the families that the killer doll has forged and bonded together.

Rated: 3.5/5

Aug 26, 2022

Full Review

David Griffiths

Subculture Entertainment

Fascinating documentary that goes behind the scenes of one of horror's most famous franchises. What makes this so unique is that it wasn't put together by a fan but instead by someone on the 'inside'.

Rated: 3.5/5

Jul 22, 2023

Full Review

Erik Childress

Movie Madness Podcast

While it is nice to see everyone had such a good time making these movies, this is little more than an extended DVD featurette with no real context from fans and horror experts on why these films have endured or unique from other franchises.

Rated: 2/4

Jun 30, 2023

Full Review

William Schwartz

Book & Film Globe

By and large, Living with Chucky is less a documentary as it is a scrapbook.

May 24, 2023

Full Review

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Synopsis

Living with Chucky takes an in depth look at the groundbreaking Child's Play franchise from the perspective of a filmmaker who grew up within it. Featuring interviews with cast and crew such as Brad Dourif, Jennifer Tilly, Alex Vincent, creator Don Mancini, and much more, this personal film recounts the dedication, creativity and sacrifice that went into making the franchise and its long-lasting impact on the horror community. Storming into pop culture in the late 1980s, the three-foot menace known as Chucky, proved that Child's Play was anything but. The horror film went on to spawn six sequels, a television series, a reboot, comic books, a video game and merchandise. Written and directed by Kyra Elise Gardner, daughter of legendary special effects artist Tony Gardner, Living With Chucky looks back at the groundbreaking horror franchise by those there from the beginning. The documentary details the history of the Child's Play films by the cast and crew, in addition to Gardner's own relationship with the series and the impact it had on her family. Gardner, who grew up alongside Chucky the killer doll, seeks out other families involved with the Child's Play films as they recount their experiences working on the franchise and what it means to be a part of the "Chucky" family.

Director: Kyra Elise Gardner
Executive Producer: Ash T
Screenwriter: Kyra Elise Gardner
Distributor: Cinedigm
Production Co: Chucky Documentary
Genre: Documentary, Horror
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 4, 2023

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