Living with Chucky (2022) is the long-awaited (at least for us Chucky superfans) documentary of the charmingly maniacal killer doll franchise. Full of interviews with those central to the story, including writer/director Don Mancini, Brad Dourif and Jennifer Tilly, this documentary charts the rise, and sometimes fall, of the Chucky legacy, exploring its impact on the horror genre.
Taking each film in turn, we are privy to previously unexplored behind-the-scenes details, including the creation of the Chucky, Tiffany and Glen/Glenda puppets. What is clear throughout is that all those involved, from the returning cast members, to the puppeteers and production team, are deeply in love with Chucky. It is clear to see this franchise has been a labour of love and is also a testament to the resourcefulness of filmmakers. We see how toxic the studio system is, expecting bigger and better sequels for rapidly decreasing budgets. But we also see how a team of dedicated artists can rise to that challenge and can take their passion for a project and make it work, even when the budget has been slashed more viciously than Chucky’s many victims.
If you have spent the last thirty years playing with Chucky, this is the documentary for you.
The enduring appeal of Chucky is a constant thread throughout. Brad Dourif eloquently explores the relatability of a two-foot-high serial killer, suggesting that this relatability centres on finding the violent heart in ourselves. It is interesting to note that, as Dourif puts it, “All evil is just humanity, it’s unacceptable but it’s still human”. This contradicts the moral panic that often surrounds horror, and has tarnished the Chucky legacy, a clutching of the proverbial pearls that like to blame the movies, rather than parents and society. We like to position the wicked things people do as ‘evil’ as a means to distance ourselves from their actions. But this is inherently disingenuous and it removes accountability from us as a society for the monsters we create. It’s also interesting to see the influence of real-life examples of depravity, and how these have shaped the story. As producer David Kirschner points out, he named Chucky after the three most terrifying men he could think of; Charles Manson, Lee Harvey Oswald and James Earl Ray. The documentary is full of fascinating insights like this, revealing how the story of Chucky has evolved throughout the films and is so clearly influenced by the cultural zeitgeist.
It is also interesting to see how other films have shaped the series and to see the loving reference to classics like Frankenstein. It is clear that Mancini has a very strong vision, but what is so unique about this franchise is the way that this vision has shifted, and grown with each instalment. This notion of growth, and reflecting the audience, is never clearer than when the cast and crew discuss the themes within Chucky’s story. This highlights how, as is so often the case in horror, big, painful, relatable experiences can be teased out alongside the gore and the humour. The loneliness and isolation of Andy, a child who is not believed by the adults around him, is familiar. A positive experience with a foster family in Child’s Play 2, was an intentional departure from usual portrayals. And Tiffany and Chucky’s relationship, rife with toxicity and broken hearts, tells a familiar tale about loving the wrong person. Mancini is also very clear that his goal has been to inject queerness into these films on various levels “dramatically, subtextually, metaphorically, [and] stylistically,“. This includes casting LGBTQIA actors in major and minor roles and the story arc of Glen/Glenda. This desire for inclusivity and representation is not always present in horror, despite the overwhelming number of queer fans of the genre and so it is refreshing to see a filmmaker trying to represent an underrepresented, and often misrepresented, audience.
Overall, this is a wickedly fun ride through one of the most enduring franchises in horror. It is full of loving detail around everything from Chucky’s iconic clothing, to the complexities of working the puppets and the commitment to practical effects, to interviews with beloved cast members and fans. If you have spent the last thirty years playing with Chucky, this is the documentary for you.
Living with Chucky (2022) is out now on Lightbulb Film Distribution Blu-Ray
