Trailer Reaction: Child’s Play (2019)

Written by Tom Moore

When I first heard that a remake/reboot/whatever they’re calling of the slasher classic Child’s Play was in development, I was a little skeptical. Even with talented names like Aubrey Plaza and Brian Tyree Henry attached to the project, I couldn’t help but question how anyone could put a fresh enough spin on Chucky to make his big screen return special. However, upon hearing that Mark Hamill would voice Chucky, I gained new interest in what he could bring to the iconic character as his past work speaks for itself.

Now, a new trailer has slashed its way onto the internet and after seeing it, I can’t help but be fully intrigued by the new concepts, modern ideas, and creepy atmosphere this new film desires to bring.

Right away, we’re introduced to a new kind of Andy Barclay, played by Gabriel Bateman—who is no longer the adorable little kid we remember, but a slightly older and troubled kid. From an exchange we see between Andy and his mom, played by Plaza, we understand that Andy is new, has trouble making friends and is quite lonely. Andy isn’t necessarily the focus of the trailer, but from what I’ve seen so far, I like him and it’ll be interesting to see if making Andy a little older has any changes to the plot or his relationship with Chucky.

What’s more interesting is the new kind of Chucky we’re getting, as he’s no longer possessed by the violent serial killer Charles Lee Ray, but is more of an artificial intelligence turned evil. Admittedly, I kind of wrote this premise off as dumb when I first saw it in the teaser because it just seemed kind of odd, but I’ve had a change of heart.

Chucky’s role is more like how Alexa and Google Home work in that they can control other technology, like cars, thermostats, drones, and a myriad of other things. This is shown to great effect in the trailer as we see Chucky violently control other cars and even take control of some kind of lawn mower to decimate someone. What I love about this is that it creates a new kind of paranormal presence for Chucky and we see that his presence can be felt even when he’s not on-screen. Not to mention, Chucky’s craving for carnage hasn’t seemed to dissipate, as he seems to utilize this new power to create traps that feel like he’s been taking some notes from another iconic, puppet-loving killer.

It also seems like the darkly comedic side of Chucky has taken new light. I really dig the way they use Harry Nilsson’s Best Friend to create a bone-chilling atmosphere as the song slowly drifts into this eerie tone that can be felt throughout the trailer. It’s almost as if Hamill is singing the song as Chucky and it leads to a brief image of Chucky’s new face with a devilish smile that gave me chills that the character hasn’t been able to produce in a long time. Not to mention, the trailer ends with a small line that gives us our first indication of what Hamill’s voice sounds like and it sounds much darker and creepier than anything Chucky has said in the last decade or so. It’s an excellent surprise to see that Chucky might finally be scary again and I’m sure that Hamill can also spout some of the darkly comedic one-liners that Chucky is known for.

It’s easy to just label Child’s Play as just another horror reboot/remake, I know I did, but this new trailer shows that this might not be the case. I’m definitely more intrigued than ever before and will definitely be checking it out when the film drops on June 21^st–ironically the same day as Toy Story 4 — to see if the film can create a more modernized and creepier Chucky.

Child’s Play (2019) hits theaters June 21

Photo Credit: Orion Pictures