Chucky – Which Chucky Movie is First?
The 1980s saw a boom in “inanimate object turned killer” horror movies. One of the most successful of these was Child’s Play, introducing the pint-sized serial-killer Chucky.
Released less than a year after Child’s Play 2, this sequel jumped forward eight years to find Andy (now played by Justin Whalen) at military school. Sadly, a Good Guy doll resurrects Chucky, who goes on a murderous spree.
Child’s Play 1 (1988)
Child’s Play 1 is the film that birthed one of horror’s greatest monsters. It stars Brad Dourif (Lord of the Rings), Catherine Hicks and Alex Vincent.
Serial killer Charles Lee Ray evades capture by transferring his soul into a Good Guy doll. This cult classic is full of jump scares and witty dialogue. Its robotic puppetry effects are surprisingly impressive for its time.
Child’s Play 2 (1990)
John Lafia helms this sequel with an eye for combining creepy atmospheric moments and balls-to-the-wall action. The movie introduces us to Andy Barclay, the foster kid whose traumatized life is disrupted by Chucky.
Serial killer Charles Lee Ray (Brad Dourif) is cornered by police and uses a voodoo spell to transfer his soul into a Good Guy doll. Now he’s back to terrorize his original target, Andy.
Child’s Play 3 (1991)
It takes only two years after the second film for Chucky to strike again. This time, his manufacturer, the Play Pals Company, reassembles him as part of a publicity stunt to help their public image and reassure investors, bringing back his evil spirit and terrorizing Andy’s foster family.
As the film ends, Ray survives by transferring his soul into a Good Guy doll he possesses. This gives birth to the next film, Bride of Chucky.
Child’s Play 4 (1993)
When single mother Karen Barclay buys a Good Guy doll for her son Andy from a sketchy peddler, she doesn’t realize it’s possessed by a serial killer. With the help of black magic, he transfers his soul into the toy.
This film introduced the franchise’s first time jump, chasing after a teenage Andy (played by Justin Whalin). It also went a little more campy with the slasher genre.
Child’s Play 5 (1995)
After escaping death, serial killer Charles Lee Ray transferred his soul into a Good Guy doll. Now he’s back to kill again and get a body of his own.
Single mom Karen Barclay purchases a Good Guy doll for her son from a street peddler and doesn’t realize it’s possessed by a supposedly dead serial killer. The film marks Don Mancini’s directorial debut.
Child’s Play 6 (1999)
When a toy company recreates the Good Guy doll Charles Lee Ray possessed, they unknowingly bring back the murderous spirit. Then he sets his sights on his previous child owner, Andy.
This film has a lot of dark humor and plays with meta-references to other horror films, like Poltergeist and Five Nights at Freddy’s. It also has some pretty brutal murders.
Child’s Play 7 (2001)
The ’90s saw a rebirth for Child’s Play, with the series shifting away from the psychological thrillers of its predecessors. This movie also introduced the series’ first time jump, bringing Chucky back to pursue his original owner Andy Barclay.
The 2019 reboot takes the franchise in a different direction, with artificial intelligence replacing serial killer possession. Aubrey Plaza and Mark Hamill star as Andy and Chucky, respectively.
Child’s Play 8 (2013)
Two years after the first movie, serial killer Charles Lee Ray transfers his soul into a Good Guy doll and follows Andy into foster care, where he begins hunting down his new family (including feisty foster sister Kyle). Don Mancini wrote this film.
This installment had some of the same tongue in plastic doll cheek humor as previous incarnations, but it felt more like a cash grab than anything else. Brad Dourif returned to voice Chucky.
Child’s Play 9 (2015)
It’s a bit sillier than the first three, but this still holds up as a solid entry into the franchise. Catherine Hicks and Brad Dourif both deliver surprisingly good performances, especially considering that this is a low-budget horror flick.
The movie takes place two years after serial killer Charles Lee Ray was transferred into a Good Guy doll, where he terrorized his new owners. This is where the franchise deviates from its family-focused roots.
Child’s Play 10 (2019)
Chucky’s ex-girlfriend Tiffany (Jennifer Tilly) resurrects him with voodoo magic. This entry in the franchise is notable for stepping away from the dark horror and leaning more toward black comedy.
Aubrey Plaza stars in this new reimagining of the decades-old franchise. The film is directed by Lars Klevberg, with a screenplay written by Tyler Burton Smith. It is based on the 1988 eponymous film.