Child's Play

Child's Play has built a devoted audience in Australia on Stan and MGM Amazon Channel, and in the US on fuboTV and MGM+ Amazon Channel among viewers who want their drama to earn its emotional beats. It says what it needs to say in one sitting, no filler. Its 7/10 TMDB score, built from 3,395 ratings, reflects a title that consistently delivers. Catherine Hicks anchors it with a performance that rewards close attention. There is no real reason to keep putting it off — it is right there on Stan.

Whatever else is competing for your attention this week, Child's Play is worth clearing space for. Character-driven storytelling at its most effective — Child's Play earns every emotional beat it goes for. After being shot in a toy store, a serial killer transfers his soul into a Good Guy doll. A mother then gifts it to her 6-year old son Andy, which unleashes terror upon the city. Catherine Hicks and Chris Sarandon lead a cast that treats the material with real seriousness. It hit screens in 1988. What elevates Child's Play is a refusal to let any character off the hook too easily. It delivers reliably on what it promises, which is more than most of its competition manages.

For anyone looking for storytelling that takes its characters seriously, Child's Play delivers. It rewards viewers regardless of what else is in their watch history. Best experienced as a single, sustained watch from start to finish. Catherine Hicks carries the material with a performance that rewards close attention. Worth starting sooner rather than later.