Jake, an ill-at-ease teenager who lives alone with his father since his mother's death, one day buys an unusual doll with flamboyant red hair at a flea market to complete a sculpture he is creating in his room.
But he quickly discovers that his toy is alive and, moreover, possessed by the evil spirit of a former serial killer, who will be happy to rid its owner of those who mistreat him!
Connoisseurs will have already identified the name of the doll: Chucky.
It must be said that the latter has already been the subject of no less than eight films since the founding opus of the saga, "Child's Game", released in 1988. Six sequels, not all released in theaters in France, him succeeded, before a remake of the original episode, "Child's play: the evil doll", in 2019. The series proposed for a few days on Salto is presented as a direct sequel to the seventh film, "The Return of Chucky", dating back to 2017. And she actually sees three stalwarts of the franchise returning to business.
An increasingly dark and delirious universe
First of all its creator, Don Mancini, who wrote the screenplays for all the feature films, except the last, and directed three of them.
Then Brad Dourif, an actor with a disturbing face specializing in the roles of villains (nominated for the Oscar for best supporting role for his composition in "Flight over the Cuckoo's Nest"), who has lent his characteristic voice since the beginning to the demonic toy.
Finally, the actress Jennifer Tilly, whose character only appeared in the middle of the saga, but who made such an impression that she has since become one of its symbols.
Good bases to develop the concept on a series, especially as Don Mancini inscribes his story in his time.
Its hero, Jake, is, for example, a teenager tormented by his impulses, considered gay by his high school colleagues, but who nevertheless does not follow up on the advances of another boy whom he nevertheless appreciates.
And it's the female characters that often drive the plot forward, whether it's a police officer, a bullying teen, or a surrogate mother hiding secrets.
On the horror side, the series cannot compete with the films, even if each episode contains its shock and violent sequence, and the blood does not necessarily flow in a big boil.
So we have fun seeing Jake sink into an increasingly dark and delirious universe, and above all we wonder, like in a good old "Friday the 13th", who will be the next victim of Chucky's fury!
After a first salvo of eight episodes, which did well in the United States, a season 2 has already been ordered.
For fans, note that Salto also offers five films from the saga, parts 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6.
Editor's note:
3.5/5
“Chucky”, American series by Don Mancini, with Zackary Arthur, Björvin Arnarson, Alyvia Alyn Lind… Season 1, eight episodes of around 45 mins
