dir. Kyra Elise Gardner

Directed by the daughter of head puppeteer Tony Gardner, Living With Chucky is an extensive yet endearing deep dive into the worldwide phenomenon of everyone’s favourite murder doll. Covering the creation of Don Mancini’s twisted toy to the various sequels and birth of the Chucky TV series, director Kyra Elise Gardner leaves no blood-stained stone unturned.

Featuring interviews with the cast and crew of the Child’s Play and Chucky movies (as well as genre royalty such as Lin Shaye and John Waters) the doc explores the world of – and familial unit that made – the killer toy a horror movie icon. At times feeling like a snapshot into a family’s innermost workings, the result adds even more heart to an already beloved franchise. 

The highlights though are the experiences of Fiona Dourif (actor in the franchise, as well as daughter of the voice of Chucky himself Brad Dourif ) and director Gardner as they grew up around Chucky, watching their respective fathers’ work but also reflecting on how their dads’ time away from their families affected them during childhood. It makes Living With Chucky a must-see for all Child’s Play fanatics, as well as a fascinating opportunity for horror fans to go behind-the-scenes of one of the genre’s most enduring movie monsters.

© Ygraine Hackett-Cantabrana

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Living With Chucky is now available to own and rent in the UK & Ireland via Amazon, AppleTV, Sky Store, Virgin Media and Google Play. Also available on Blu-ray.