Child's Play

"Child's Play" is indisputably the best installment of the overall - do I daresay it - disappointing "Hammer House of Mystery & Suspense" series. It's tense, claustrophobic, compelling, and uncanny. It's also original and unpredictable unless you are familiar with the early 60s hit series "The Twilight Zone" and one dazzling episode of the third season. Around 1/3 into this short film, I began wondering where I had seen the same set-up and storyline before. It was in the marvelous episode entitled "Five Characters in Search of an Exit". Here, it's three people, a married couple and their 7-year-old daughter, who are trapped inside their own house with a wall of seemingly indestructible concrete blocking every possible exit. While the temperature is increasing and the oxygen levels are decreasing, there's also a nasty type of goo sipping in via the chimney. If you haven't seen the aforementioned "Twilight Zone" episode, it's absolutely impossible to predict the outcome, and you are in for a genuine surprise-ending. Should you have seen it, "Child's Play" is still a very gripping tale, professionally directed by Hammer veteran Val Guest and featuring strong performances of Mary Crosby and Nicholas Clay.

A made-for-TV movie that is simply better than 95% of fantasy and horror works we can see in movie theaters.The story progresses slowly but inexorably and fear never leaves the viewer.It might have had a big influence on "cube" and it might possibly be better,because it deals with every day life and features an ending you'll never guess!Close to the fifties great works such as "the incredible shrinking man" ,"child's play " is absolutely brilliant.

And at a time when "unexpected ends" often come at the most awkward moment,this ending will leave you on the edge of your seat.At once simple and terrifying.

First viewing: November 1984 / Second viewing: October 2003

Easily the most memorable of the whole `Hammer House Of Mystery And Suspense' series, `Child's Play' is like a stage play. Just three characters (kudos to the beautiful Mary `I shot JR' Crosby) – a nuclear family of sorts – who awake at 4:10AM one morning trapped in their own home. We learn very early on about the steel fortress and the mysterious symbol that constantly appears. A sense of impending doom and claustrophobia pervade throughout and the final scene is shocking in its execution. `A true story. Which has just been told before its time' reads the caption on the final reel. Almost perfect and nineteen years later I'm still amazed. 9/10

This episode along with the last one in the series are the two with the most The Twilight Zone vibe of the whole series. This episode opens with an amazing idea, it evolves very well and culminates in a non-trivial ending even if it can be guessed by more or less half of the episode. The whole episode is very entertaining and manages to be truly wonderful and with the right rhythms that give it the perfect atmosphere. Too bad, however, that there is the classic nuisance child who makes the episode slightly more difficult to bear. Even the final part is very beautiful even if it consists of a very classic didactic explanation that spoils the atmosphere a little.

When I watched Child's Play I thought it had a Twilight Zone type feel to it. The ending looked very familiar, now it might because I would had watched this episode back in 1984 or 85.

It turns out that the story was based on the Twilight Zone episode 'Six Characters in Search of an Exit.'

The Preston family wake up to discover that their house is walled in. There is no escape. The house is getting warmer and there is gunge in one of the rooms.

They are trapped, with no way to break out. Time is stuck and there is this corporate logo everywhere.

It is an episode where it all makes sense at the end. The title of the story is an obvious clue.

The big problem is that the story was too long and too cheesy. It would have worked more effectively in the shorter format.