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IMDbPro

Child's Play

  • 1988
  • R
  • 1h 27m
IMDb RATING
6.6/10
109K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
2,641
165
Brad Dourif and Dinah Manoff in Child's Play (1988)
A single mother gives her son a much sought-after doll for his birthday, only to discover that it is possessed by the soul of a serial killer.
Play trailer2:02
14 Videos
99+ Photos
HorrorThriller

A single mother gives her son a much sought-after doll for his birthday, only to discover that it is possessed by the soul of a serial killer.A single mother gives her son a much sought-after doll for his birthday, only to discover that it is possessed by the soul of a serial killer.A single mother gives her son a much sought-after doll for his birthday, only to discover that it is possessed by the soul of a serial killer.

  • Director
    • Tom Holland
  • Writers
    • Don Mancini
    • John Lafia
    • Tom Holland
  • Stars
    • Catherine Hicks
    • Chris Sarandon
    • Alex Vincent
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    6.6/10
    109K
    YOUR RATING
    POPULARITY
    2,641
    165
    • Director
      • Tom Holland
    • Writers
      • Don Mancini
      • John Lafia
      • Tom Holland
    • Stars
      • Catherine Hicks
      • Chris Sarandon
      • Alex Vincent
    • 437User reviews
    • 138Critic reviews
    • 58Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 2 wins & 4 nominations

    Videos14

    Official Trailer
    Trailer 2:02
    Watch Official Trailer
    Child's Play
    Trailer 2:07
    Watch Child's Play
    IMDbrief: Candyman, Chucky, & More Horror Reboots Coming for You
    Clip 2:38
    Watch IMDbrief: Candyman, Chucky, & More Horror Reboots Coming for You
    IMDbrief: Best Halloween Screams to Stream
    Clip 2:14
    Watch IMDbrief: Best Halloween Screams to Stream
    Child's Play: Hi, I'm Chucky!
    Clip 2:22
    Watch Child's Play: Hi, I'm Chucky!
    Child's Play: Who Did It?
    Clip 2:45
    Watch Child's Play: Who Did It?
    Child's Play: Wanna Play?
    Clip 2:29
    Watch Child's Play: Wanna Play?
    Child's Play: Unboxing
    Clip 1:00
    Watch Child's Play: Unboxing
    Child's Play: Howard Berger On Puppeteering Chucky
    Featurette 1:53
    Watch Child's Play: Howard Berger On Puppeteering Chucky
    Child's Play: Ed Gale On Playing Chucky
    Featurette 2:27
    Watch Child's Play: Ed Gale On Playing Chucky
    Best 'Child's Play' Movie? Brian Tyree Henry Answers Your Questions
    Interview 2:49
    Watch Best 'Child's Play' Movie? Brian Tyree Henry Answers Your Questions
    This New Chucky Doll Will Make You Cry?
    Interview 2:26
    Watch This New Chucky Doll Will Make You Cry?

    Photos255

    Catherine Hicks and Alex Vincent in Child's Play (1988)
    Chris Sarandon, Catherine Hicks, and Alex Vincent in Child's Play (1988)
    Edan Gross, Catherine Hicks, and Alex Vincent in Child's Play (1988)
    Brad Dourif and Alex Vincent in Child's Play (1988)
    Brad Dourif, Ed Gale, and Hunter Marks in Child's Play (1988)
    Edan Gross and Alex Vincent in Child's Play (1988)
    Brad Dourif, Ed Gale, and Hunter Marks in Child's Play (1988)
    Edan Gross in Child's Play (1988)
    Brad Dourif, Ed Gale, Alex Vincent, and Hunter Marks in Child's Play (1988)
    Brad Dourif, Ed Gale, and Hunter Marks in Child's Play (1988)
    Child's Play (1988)
    Catherine Hicks in Child's Play (1988)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Catherine Hicks
    Catherine Hicks
    • Karen Barclay
    Chris Sarandon
    Chris Sarandon
    • Mike Norris
    Alex Vincent
    Alex Vincent
    • Andy Barclay
    Brad Dourif
    Brad Dourif
    • Charles Lee Ray
    • (voice)
    • …
    Dinah Manoff
    Dinah Manoff
    • Maggie Peterson
    Tommy Swerdlow
    Tommy Swerdlow
    • Jack Santos
    Jack Colvin
    Jack Colvin
    • Dr. Ardmore
    Neil Giuntoli
    Neil Giuntoli
    • Eddie Caputo
    Juan Ramírez
    • Peddler
    Alan Wilder
    Alan Wilder
    • Mr. Criswell
    Richard Baird
    • News Reporter at Toy Store
    Ray Oliver
    • Dr. Death
    • (as Raymond Oliver)
    Aaron Osborne
    Aaron Osborne
    • Orderly
    Tyler Hard
    • Mona
    Ted Liss
    • George
    Roslyn Alexander
    • Lucy
    Bo Kane
    Bo Kane
    • Male TV Newscaster
    • (as Robert Kane)
    Leila Lee Olsen
    • Female TV Newscaster
    • (as Leila Hee Olsen)
    • Director
      • Tom Holland
    • Writers
      • Don Mancini
      • John Lafia
      • Tom Holland
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Chucky's full name, Charles Lee Ray, is derived from the names of notorious killers Charles Manson, Lee Harvey Oswald (assassin of John F. Kennedy) and James Earl Ray (assassin of Martin Luther King).
    • Goofs
      Near the end of the movie, Chucky stabs the cop, Mike Norris, in the leg, and he falls and remains in the bedroom. Shortly after this, Chucky is shot several times by Karen, and his body parts are severed. This occurs in the living room and hallway. Mike Norris, still on the floor in the bedroom tells the backup cop who then arrives that Chuckie was shot and that his body is in pieces all over the place and to not touch any of them. It is impossible for Norris to know or to have seen any of this, as he was in the other room the entire time.
    • Quotes

      Karen Barclay: [she grabs Chucky] Talk to me.

      [pause]

      Karen Barclay: Come on, talk!

      [pause]

      Karen Barclay: I said, "talk to me", damn it!

      [Chucky gives no answer]

      Karen Barclay: All right! I'll make you talk!

      [Karen grabs Chucky, lights up her fireplace and holds Chucky near the fire]

      Karen Barclay: I SAID TALK TO ME, DAMN IT, OR ELSE I'M GONNA THROW YOU IN THE FIRE!

      [Chucky comes alive]

      Chucky: [screams] YOU STUPID BITCH, YOU FILTHY SLUT! I'LL TEACH YOU TO FUCK WITH ME!

      [Chucky attacks Karen]

    • Crazy credits
      At the end of the closing credits, the film's title logo is shown above the United Artists logo.
    • Alternate versions
      The 1999 DVD used 1994 variant of the United Artists logo to plaster the MGM/UA Communications Co. and United Artists logos.
    • Connections
      Edited into Curse of Chucky (2013)
    • Soundtracks
      CHUCKY'S ANIMATED THEME
      Written & Produced by Mike Piccirillo

    User reviews437

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    8/10
    A modern classic
    When people nowadays think of Chucky, the living doll, they think of the foul mouthed psycho doll complete with body modifications and a punky bride in a movie filled with funny one liners and black humor. However, when Chucky came to life almost 20 years ago, he was a real thrill that redefined the horror genre of the late 80s and spawned a series of imitators (some better than others).

    Director Tom Holland crafts this very original tale written by Don Mancini, where a dying sociopath (Brad Douriff) uses voodoo to transplant his soul to an inanimate toy. Catherine Hicks plays Karen Barclay, a single mother who gets the possessed toy for her little son Andy (Alex Vincent), not knowing what is hidden deep inside the doll.

    Despite its apparent cheesiness, Holland truly creates a haunting atmosphere filled with suspense by following the trick Steven Spielberg used in "Jaws". While we know from the very beginning that the toy is haunted, we never get a glimpse of what he can do and neither does the characters; only the young Andy knows the truth, but nobody believes him.

    Unlike its current MTV-inspired incarnations, "Child's Play" starts a bit slow, but suddenly it turns into a suspense-filled roller-coaster with enough thrills to keep you at the edge of the seat. Holland directions truly makes the difference between a cheap B-movie and the classy film this one has become.

    Brad Dourif makes a superb job and this movie started his now-legendary career in the genre. Catherine Hicks is a very good lead character, surprisingly realistic, thanks in part to the very well-written dialog. Chris Sarandon completes the cast as the detective investigating the mysterious murders surrounding Chucky and Andy.

    The movie moves at a very good pace, despite its slow start; it has that 80s feeling and it is surprisingly violent for its time (it was released when rules were turning a bit stricter). It has great special effects and a very creepy atmosphere inside it's urban landscape.

    While many reviewers consider a flaw the fact that Chucky's possession is not a mystery, I believe that a lot of the suspense is in the fact that we know that, but the characters don't. It is a very well constructed film in the end, and definitely better than its current sequels. 8/10
    helpful•120
    9
    • jluis1984
    • Mar 29, 2006

    Top picks

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    FAQ3

    • What are the differences between the old BBFC 15 Version and the Uncut Version?
    • What other actors auditioned or dropped out?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • November 9, 1988 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official site
      • Official site
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Blood Brother
    • Filming locations
      • Brewster Building Apartments - 2800 N. Pine Grove Avenue, Lake View, Chicago, Illinois, USA
    • Production company
      • United Artists
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $9,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $33,244,684
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $6,583,963
      • Nov 13, 1988
    • Gross worldwide
      • $44,196,684
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 27 minutes
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Stereo
      • Dolby Digital
      • Dolby Atmos
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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