Kyra Elise Gardner’s Living with Chucky is a heartwarming documentary focused on filmmaking, family, and of course, Chucky.
Story
The documentary leads through each of the films in the Chucky franchise. It features a lot of interesting information about each of the films, their actors, directors and producers. Eventually we are introduced to the film’s director, Kyra, who has a strong connection to the infamous doll through her father, Tony Gardner, who is the franchise’s lead puppeteer.
Visuals
I loved how the film progressed through each film, physically being inserted into a VCR and eventually DVD/Blu-ray player. Each person that was introduced in the film was also clearly introduced and visually, everything was crisp and clear. It was also really cool seeing shots of how the Chucky dolls are created, and the intensity of the work that is put into them. It was also fun to look for the addition of Chucky and Tiffany dolls in each shot.
Who’s In It?
The documentary features several actors, producers, directors, and other people that have a connection to the Chucky franchise. Chucky creator, Don Mancini provides a lot of insight. We see Chucky himself, Brad Dourif, and his daughter who plays Nica, Fiona Dourif. In addition, Jennifer Tilly who plays Tiffany, David Kirschner (producer of Chucky). There are also several other people who have a connection to Chucky included in the film (Alex Vincent, Abigail Breslin, Marlon Wayans, John Waters, Lin Shaye, Christine Elise, Dan Povenmire, and Tony Gardner.)
Overall
Living With Chucky is of course, a must-see for Chucky fans. However, I think anybody can appreciate and relate to the film’s focus on family and how shared love for something can bond people. My only criticism is that I think it could have been a little shorter by maybe reducing the number of featured guests. However, I really enjoyed learning more about Chucky. It was really heartwarming to see how Chucky has led, continues to lead, to community and family.
