Child's Play

Name: Child's Play
Genre: Thriller, Horror
Released: November 9, 1988
Duration: 87 min
Rating: 58
Cast: Alan Wilder, Alex Vincent, Brad Dourif, Catherine Hicks, Chris Sarandon

1988

METASCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 18 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Universal acclaim based on 208 Ratings

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8.5

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8.5	User Score Universal acclaim based on 208 Ratings

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Child's Play: Who Did It?

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Movie Details & Credits

United Artists | Release Date: November 9, 1988 | R

Starring: Alan Wilder, Alex Vincent, Brad Dourif, Catherine Hicks, Chris Sarandon, Dinah Manoff, Jack Colvin, Juan Ramírez, Neil Giuntoli, Tommy Swerdlow

Summary: 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

Genre(s): Thriller, Horror

Rating: R

Runtime: 87 min

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Critic Reviews

Kevin Thomas

Scary, yet darkly funny, this thriller of the supernatural from the director of the terrific Fright Night moves with the speed of a bullet train and with style to burn. The film is a stunner--in all senses of the word. Read full review

Roger Ebert

A cheerfully energetic horror film of the slam-bang school, but slicker and more clever than most, about an evil doll named Charles Lee Ray, or Chucky. Read full review

Scott Tobias

The sequences without Chucky are as stock as they come, and so are all the flesh-and-blood characters around him, but he's still a hugely entertaining mischief-maker, and what he lacks in physical gifts, he compensates for in sneakiness. Read full review

Staff (Not Credited)

While some of the supernatural stuff about witch-doctors and Mojo dolls is a bit daft, Holland's sure handling of the suspense and shock moments lends the film a sharp and scary edge. Read full review

Staff (Not Credited)

Most of the laughs seem unintentional and come too late in the movie — after several reels of serious build-up — for the audience to adjust to its tongue-in-cheek qualities. Making a good horror-thriller, or even a good horror-comedy, is not child’s play, as this schizoid film all too unfortunately proves. Read full review

TV Guide Magazine Staff (Not Credited)

Buoyed by a good cast, strong direction, and excellent effects, Child's Play almost works. Unfortunately, the screenplay is full of plot holes, lapses of logic, and missed opportunities. Read full review

Dave Kehr

Child's Play would probably be sickening if it weren't so relentlessly stupid. Read full review

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User Reviews

meydianarizki21

Oct 23, 2020

This film is good with no adult scenes, so people of all ages can enjoy this film. But However, there are some things that are not suitable for children to watch because there are so many scenes that make children traumatized, especially violence, and scenes of murder. Well here, I am afraidThis film is good with no adult scenes, so people of all ages can enjoy this film. But However, there are some things that are not suitable for children to watch because there are so many scenes that make children traumatized, especially violence, and scenes of murder. Well here, I am afraid and quite worried that the children will imitate scenes like that. I admit that as an adult, this film is tense and scary.… Expand

42 of 42 users found this helpful420

jakandjoe

May 3, 2021

good movie not really scary i think age for kids might be 8 i would say 8 if they don't have nightmares and stuff like that it should be good for the older chucky movies.

12 of 13 users found this helpful121

JPK

Jul 2, 2019

A Horror Classic
Chunky still terrifies me to this day, And that means this movie has stood the test of time despite a few minor issues.

50 of 50 users found this helpful500

Citizen920

Sep 10, 2020

Classic horror movie worth appreciating, perfect for a Sunday afternoon. Great movie.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

DirigiblePulp

Jan 11, 2019

Everyone loves when the is or isn't he alive aspect of the movie is played out through the beginning of the movie. That thing always works for these kinds of movies and Holland is quite good at it. It's more than just a way of teasing the audience, it's a prolonged sense of foreplay becauseEveryone loves when the is or isn't he alive aspect of the movie is played out through the beginning of the movie. That thing always works for these kinds of movies and Holland is quite good at it. It's more than just a way of teasing the audience, it's a prolonged sense of foreplay because we know it's going to happen eventually, goddamn it. And it lasts just long enough to suggest it's all in the boy's imagination.

The second half is good enough. There's a sense of motion without cause to it, a couple of set pieces spontaneously set up to get to the quick hitting ending. It's too bad it doesn't have a little more fun along the way. There's a tonal break in this that's almost kind of brilliant, and very similar to Fright Night. It's all played straight until the reveal actually happens -- then it becomes preposterous and ridiculous. It's that ironic mixing of tone and plot happenstance that gives this move it's unique edge. And Brad Dourif is a big part of that.… Expand

1 of 34 users found this helpful133

Greyhoundes

Sep 6, 2020

My favorite Karen

0 of 29 users found this helpful029

TRANSFORMERSFAN

Mar 11, 2021

UGH! Worst Scary Movies ever! child´s play franchise is my least favorite scary movie franchise!

0 of 43 users found this helpful043

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