Opened: November 9, 1988

Directed by: Tom Holland

Starring: Alex Vincent, Catherine Hicks, Chris Sarandon, Brad Dourif & Dinah Manoff

The first film that started a horror franchise with a children’s doll, Child’s Play is a fun terror that will kill your Toy Story dreams of toys coming to life.

Good Guys doll Chucky is the hottest toy on shelves and it’s all Andy (Alex Vincent) wants for his birthday. While she can’t afford one, his mom Karen (Catherine Hicks) and her friend Maggie (Dinah Manoff) buy one off a peddler. What they don’t know is this doll is inhabited by the soul of serial killer Charles Lee Ray (Brad Dourif).

While Chucky could be an easily laughable villain, the script keeps him scary as he can easily switch from evil to a normal kid’s toy again. You’ll feel for Andy and Karen as they go through trials against Chucky.

Final say: Not a children’s film. ★★★★☆