10 Horror Movie Reboots (And Scoring How Successful They Were)

2. Child's Play (2019)

Child's Play 2019 Chucky
United Artists Releasing

Child’s Play (1988) was a straight horror film, but subsequent instalments in the franchise embraced an increasingly camp and humorous tone, and this reboot wisely chooses to double down on that vibe; the premise of a murderous doll is inherently silly and that’s best acknowledged.

Rather than a doll possessed by a serial killer, the murderous Chucky doll is now a result of rogue AI after a disgruntled factory worker alters the doll’s safety settings before shipping the toy.

Child’s Play benefits from a number of strong characters, with Aubrey Plaza and Gabriel Bateman both delivering charismatic performances, aided by a solid supporting cast. Mark Hamill is also wonderful as Chucky, and it’s clear he’s having a ball.

A Chucky TV show is currently in the works, and ideas for more film sequels have also been mooted, including a tantalising crossover with Freddy Krueger.

This film isn’t particularly scary, but it's a lot of fun and appropriately gross.

Reboot rating: 9/10

Contributor

Ben is an avid fan of horror, science fiction, and fantasy. He also loves video games but is alarmed at his steadily growing back log; he hopes to finish Red Dead Redemption 2 sometime around 2030.