All Chucky Movies Ranked

The 1980’s were an incredible time for emerging slasher franchises. A Nightmare on Elm Street, Hellraiser, Friday the 13th – all of these franchises birthed horror icons we know and (potentially) love today. However, amidst all the madness, my personal favourite slasher franchise of all time made its debut in the twilight years of the decade. In 1988, Chucky was introduced to the horror world, and slashers were never the same. As the years have gone by, the Child’s Play franchise has seen plenty of hits and misses but has managed to stand the test of time thanks to Don Mancini’s commitment to his creation, and the faith that the people around him have put in him.

That’s why today, in celebration of the spooky season, we’re talking all things Child’s Play, with a ranking of all Chucky films from worst to best. In light of the recent cancellation of the Chucky TV series, which I was engrossed in from the first season, there’s a certain sombre tone to making a list like this, but I have faith that the Chucky franchise will live on. With that being said, let’s dive into one of the greatest horror franchises of all time, and rank some Chucky movies – spoilers ahead!

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7. Child’s Play 3 (1991)

Image by Universal Pictures

For some Chucky fans, this may be a controversial pick but hear me out on this one. While some of the later entries on this list are far more divisive, and filled with far more questionable decisions than Child’s Play 3, the third movie in the franchise commits the cardinal sin for a Chucky movie, and slasher movies in general – it’s boring. The film takes place eight years after the events of Child’s Play 2, and follows Chucky as he hunts down Andy, who is now enrolled in military school.

Beyond just being boring, there’s other elements here that make this movie not work. Child’s Play has always been a fairly camp franchise, which they lean into a lot more in later entries, and the military school setting doesn’t exactly let this vibe thrive. Unsurprisingly, this film also suffered from behind-the-scenes shenanigans. Alex Vincent, the original Andy, was unable to reprise his role due to the eight-year time skip, and Mancini was admittedly rushed by Universal to produce a new Chucky movie after the success of the first two. To no one’s surprise, a rushed, re-casted Child’s Play did not work, and the film marks a lull in the quality of the franchise, especially with it being wedged right between two of the greatest entries in the series.

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6. Seed of Chucky (2004)

Image by Rogue Pictures

Here we have what was likely most people’s prediction for the absolute worst in the franchise, and for me, it’s not far off. While there are some qualities to Seed of Chucky that I enjoy, for the most part, this film is a trainwreck. If the original Chucky movies were horror, and Bride of Chucky was a horror-comedy, then Seed of Chucky is just a comedy – and this is one of those comedies that you laugh at, rather than with. After an incredibly bizarre cliff-hanger at the end of Bride of Chucky implying that Tiffany gave birth to some sort of demon doll, Seed of Chucky reveals that said demon doll is actually a young British doll named Glen, voiced by Billy Boyd. It’s all as eccentric as it sounds.

To be fair, Seed of Chucky seems like it achieves the vibe that it was setting out to. The film does feel like one of those surrealist John Waters movies from the 1970’s, and with Waters himself making a cameo, the team behind Seed of Chucky were clearly aware of this. A movie where Chucky runs Britney Spears off the road and causes her car to explore was clearly not meant to be taken seriously. While most of the comedy doesn’t land, and there are certain scenes in here that will never be removed from my brain, the film has some interesting ideas behind the morality of our two killer doll characters, and many LGBTQ+ fans of the franchise connect with the story arc of Glen. Still, when compared to the other entries in the Child’s Play series, its outlandishness makes it stand out for all the wrong reasons.

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5. Cult of Chucky (2017)

Image by Universal Pictures

Seed of Chucky marked the franchise’s most bizarre hour but when it comes to Cult of Chucky, this movie feels the most separated from the series in terms of its visuals, storytelling, and overall vibe. As the newest entry in the Child’s Play franchise, Cult of Chucky was tasked with bringing the killer doll into a highly competitive horror scene, and though the film ramped up the gore and scares to compensate, the movie misses the mark in a lot of other areas. The film follows Chucky as he chases down the sole survivor of Curse of Chucky, Nica Pierce, to a mental institution, and of course, he wreaks havoc on the patients inside.

There are definitely some things to enjoy here. At this point, it feels like Mancini leaned fully into the idea of Chucky as a franchise, with cast members returning from all corners of the series. I love how Jennifer Tilly’s Tiffany Valentine, and a returning Vincent’s Andy Barclay are prevalent players in the story, and the kills here are memorable to say the least. However, the plotline involving multiple Chucky dolls, and the whole possession angle sometimes feels too over-the-top for a Chucky movie – and considering the franchise’s origins in voodoo, that’s really saying something.

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4. Curse of Chucky (2013)

Image by Universal Pictures

Cult and Curse of Chucky feel like they go hand in hand, so it’s probably unsurprising that they rank together on this list. However, for how it marked the return of Chucky in nearly a decade since Seed of Chucky, Curse just wins out by a margin. Curse of Chucky sees the franchise return to its horror roots after going full comedy with Seed, as Chucky hunts down a whole new family, including series newcomer Nica Pierce. There’s a lot to love here. I personally think the darker tone of the movie suits Chucky perfectly, and Nica quickly became one of my favourite characters to come from the franchise.

The reason this film misses out on top three though is the incredibly strange plot twist that they shoehorned into the end of the film. In a pointless attempt to tie Curse of Chucky and its cast to the events of the original Child’s Play, Mancini crams a plot hole into a franchise that was entirely his to work with from the beginning, which is in many ways, the worst kind of plot hole. However, Curse brought Chucky into the modern era with a respectable finesse, and is deserving of its largely positive reputation.

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3. Child’s Play (1988)

Image by United Artists

Taking the bronze medal is the movie that started it all, 1988’s Child’s Play. The creative vision behind Child’s Play is largely unmatched in the slasher industry – the idea of a killer doll feels so obvious to us now, but in 1988, Chucky revolutionized the idea by making Chucky completely sentient, his own character, bursting with personality. The plot is simple, but effective, focusing on a mother gifting her son a doll, who happens to be possessed by the soul of a serial killer.

The only reason that this film ranks lower than the subsequent entries on this list is that the setting is fairly confined compared to the rest of the franchise. Also, a lot of this film is dedicated to the set-up. For quite a large chunk of the movie, the audience aren’t much more knowledgeable about Chucky than the actual cast of the film, adding a mystery element that somewhat slows the slasher side of it down. The film wins big for its creativity, memorable kills, and of course, an incredible performance from Alex Vincent as Andy, who manages to be a child in a horror movie who viewers not only enjoy watching, but root for all the way.

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2. Child’s Play 2 (1990)

Image by Universal Pictures

Child’s Play 2 does what any great horror sequel should do – takes everything that was great about the original, removes what fans didn’t love from the first film, and creates an exciting blend of old and new that elevates, rather than tarnishes, what the original movie built. For many, the second film in the franchise is easily the best, and it’s not hard to see why. The second film is set two years after the original, reflecting the real-life time-gap between the two movies, and follows Andy, who has been placed in foster care, as Chucky hunts him down once again.

Alex Vincent’s performance as Andy was a highlight of the original film, and it’s somehow elevated even further here. Combining his performance with that of Christine Elise as Kyle, viewers are treated to a found-family sibling dynamic that sparks one of my favourite relationships in the franchise. Child’s Play 2 is packed with memorable kills, some of Chucky’s best one-liners, and the greatest ending to a Chucky movie of all time, with Andy and Kyle taking on the killer doll inside of a toy factory. Child’s Play 2 is a perfect horror sequel, making it difficult to top within the franchise. However, only one film could pull it off…

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1. Bride of Chucky (1998)

Image by Universal Pictures

After Child’s Play 3 threatened to kill off the Chucky franchise, in 1998, a saving grace for our favourite killer doll would emerge. That saving grace? A significant other for Brad Dourif’s Chucky, Tiffany Valentine, played by Jennifer Tilly. Bride of Chucky marked the moment that the Child’s Play franchise turned towards the dark comedy it was always meant to be, but retains enough of the horror that it doesn’t feel like a mockery of the franchise, like Seed did. Refreshingly, the movie also gets rid of Andy Barclay from the story. As much as I love the character, Chucky going after him a fourth time would have felt like overkill.

Tilly in this movie is an absolute star, somehow managing to not only hold her own, but even outshine Brad Dourif’s Chucky at moments, which is no small feat. Tiffany’s character feels like exactly what the franchise was missing, and Tilly brings the character to life in a way that no one else could have – literally, as the character was written based on Tilly herself. Sure, the film has its flaws – the Romeo & Juliet-esque storyline with Jesse and Jade is unbearably dull – but the killer duo at the middle of it all keep the film moving at a perfect pace. To me, this is the perfect Chucky movie, and the best in the franchise for sure.

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Conclusion

Bride of Chucky claims the throne for the best film in the Chucky franchise! What’s your favourite Child’s Play movie? Do you agree with our ranking, or were we completely off? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

See also: Friday the 13th Movies Ranked

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