Living with Chucky

What if you grew up with a killer doll. For writer and director Kyra Elise Gardner that's exactly what she did.

Her father was the makeup artist and head puppeteer who literally helped bring a killer doll named Chucky to life. The titular Chucky has been starring in his own film franchise for over 30 years so Kyra was curious to see how her Dad has been spending his time. Which led her to create this documentary and was also a great excuse to meet the cast and crew involved in the franchise. Like any good documentary it has a purpose. Kyra has grown up hearing about the crew but has never had a chance to meet them. So, she set out to interview all of the key contributors to find out why Chucky means so much to them. Including the film's creators, crew and stars.

Initially the film brings you up to speed on the premise of the franchise and then takes you on a blow-by-blow journey through each film. Even though there are massive diminishing returns with the Chucky sequels, I'm always fascinated with how bad films are created. It helps you understand the decisions people made and what they were hoping to achieve. These films have been surrounded with some controversy which I would have liked to see explored more but I can understand the reason for leaving some elements out due to their sensitive nature and the fun tone of the film.

You don't necessarily need to be a Horror aficionado to enjoy this doco, although it would definitely help as Horror nuts will lap up all of the backstage secrets and on set stories. If you have an interest in the filmmaking process it offers great insights into the techniques and skills used. Although be warned, if you're more on the squeamish side, there are moments of blood and gore that could be a bit too much for the more discerning viewer.

On the whole this is a solid documentary exploring people's fascination and love for the horror genre, in particular, a little doll named Chucky.

• Nick

@WatchItWombat.

Fans of the franchise will absolutely love this documentary. From interesting back stories to how the films have affected each person, it is amazing to see and learn things about a franchise that so many people have grown up with. My only complaint was there wasn't more, I was so intrigued with the sections on just the movies that I wanted more about each production. I found about this documentary from BD and the director's social media and the behind the scenes had me hopeful, but my hopes were surpassed in every regard. The beginning is very informative but it gets immensely emotional towards the end and shines a whole new light on the family behind these scenes. I can't recommend this enough to fans of the franchise.

I put this documentary on, on a whim. I'm not a big fan of the series, but I did like "Bride" and "Seed", plus I love behind the scenes of features and docs about movies.

I found the first half of this film really easygoing and enjoyable for the most part, and really enjoyed what Jennifer Tilly had to say. The first half doesn't overstay, telling you about the movies in this series, it just, mostly, shows behind the scenes, and you hear from different actors and crew.

I was feeling pretty good about this movie, but then it slowed down near the end, and started getting sad. All the staff talking about having to be away from their families while their young kids and wives waited months on them. Kind of a bummer. This film grew tedious after that, and could've been cut by 20 minutes. The last bit just felt like extended extra interviews. I was ready to turn it off.

Also, the woman making this film told Brad Dourif how much he was a part of her life. He looked at her, quizzically, and didn't say anything, his daughter sitting right next to him. That felt a little weird to watch. He may have meant a lot to you, but he doesn't seem to know a thing about you. Fangirling much? ...........awkward.

I'd watch first hour or so if you're curious, or love the series, but unless you're a mega fan, no need to seek it out, in my opinion.

It amazed me seeing how so many people were connected through this one doll. This documentary included people that met him all the way from the original Child's Play to the most recent third season of the Chucky tv show. I watched all of them before looking at this so I was happy seeing how people have grown. I had no idea that the actress that plays Nika is the actual daughter of the actor who plays Chucky! He must be really proud of her. I also saw the YouTuber behind Dead Meat on this, amazing! I love his kill count videos! This movie is a must watch for anyone that likes Chucky, regardless of which entry they prefer.

Excellent overview of the history of Chucky. I'm incredibly jealous I didn't get to direct this myself. The heart is there and not a second is wasted. The nostalgia as a 90's kid is felt with each interview. It's endearing hearing stories of the cast and crew and how these films formed and affected families.

If you're a big fan of the series, this is exactly what you're hoping it is. You also get a small glimpse of how the industry functions in general. Overall, it's a human story with a horror franchise at its center.

I took away a star because I cringed each time those DVDs were handled and how poorly the disc tray was closed. There's no excuse for that.

9/10 Good Guy Dolls. The other one went missing...