Remakes rarely surpass their predecessors. And it’s rarer still for a remake of a successful and cherished film to stand on its own merit and sidestep comparisons. Were it not for a few cheap jump scares and poorly timed one-liners, Child’s Play would easily earn a spot in that much vaunted latter category.
But this new take on Chucky (deviously voiced by Mark Hamill) redeems itself in several other ways as well. In addition to a genuinely suspenseful plot, we’re given a cast of characters that are taken seriously enough to be endearing in the midst of the madness.
Aubrey Plaza (Ingrid Goes West) drives home a well-tempered performance as Karen, the working single mother of Andy (Gabriel Bateman, Lights Out), our preteen protagonist who must wake from the daydream of hapless adolescence to conquer pure evil.
Making a wild pivot from the supernatural plot of the original, Child’s Play takes on the terrifying possibilities of techno-futurism in the form of the tersely named “internet of things.” This incarnation of Chucky has Wi-Fi and a creepy artificial intelligence that can link up with other home-based devices and cause all kinds of mayhem.
In turn, Child’s Play manages to level a smart critique of modern high-tech society without devolving into the kind of pathetic sermonizing to which major studio films frequently succumb. This movie simply reminds you that the kids behind the glowing smartphone screens, dithering in the smirking nihilism of internet meme culture, are still kids. And whatever they’re struggling with might be a tad more than mere child’s play.
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