10 AMAZING Horror Sequels That Shouldn’t Have Worked
8. Bride Of Chucky
The original Child's Play was a lot of fun, but it wasn't long before the killer-doll franchise descended into derivative dreck.
Rather than churning out the same-old same-old, Ronny Yu and Don Mancini decided to lean more into the gags with the fourth instalment, Bride of Chucky. The movie opens with the masks of Michael Myers and Jason Voorhees on display, demonstrating straight away that this entry is trading full-horror for self-parody. (The fact that Chucky says "it would take three or four sequels" to explain his convoluted backstory further highlights the self-referential humour.)
Though the creative bloodshed and ludicrous gore is still on display, Bride of Chucky is ultimately a comedy. Although this change of direction could diminish Chucky's menace, he's more entertaining than ever, thanks to Brad Dourif's effortless chemistry with Jennifer Tilly, who plays his partner and doll-in-crime, Tiffany. Not only that, Chucky's dysfunctional romance and murderous partnership with his girlfriend has since become a major component in the series.
Even though the IP has maintained the same campy style that Bride of Chucky embraced, it's never been bettered.