The Worst Chucky Movie Is Way Ahead Of Its Time, Stream Without Netflix
The Seed of Chucky came out in 2004 and was widely panned by critics and audiences alike, with the consensus being that it’s the worst entry in the franchise. It was such an unsuccessful movie that the next pair of films in the franchise had their budgets drastically cut and went straight to video. Looking at the film in the context of 2024, what I find most striking is how relevant and modern it feels in terms of its queer representation.
After The Bride Of Chucky
A direct sequel to The Bride of Chucky, The Seed of Chucky picks up after the death of Tiffany and Chucky, following Glen, their living doll child. Glen resurrects Tiffany and Chucky to meet them, but much to Glen’s horror they quickly go on a murderous rampage.
Initially repelled by the violence, a murderous female spirit living inside of Glen starts to emerge, going by Glenda, which Tiffany accepts but Chucky turns against.
No One Liked It
The Seed of Chucky turned critics and fans alike against the franchise. It received a 34 percent among critics on Rotten Tomatoes with a slightly higher audience score of 43 percent. Financially, it was more successful than its reviews suggest, earning $24.8 million over a $12 million budget, higher earnings on a lower budget than Child’s Play 3.
A Lot Of The Negative Reviews Are Warranted
Some of the negativity is warranted, Seed of Chucky is undeniably a flawed film. It was longtime Chucky writer Don Mancini’s directorial debut and it shows, with a visual style often feels unrefined. The comedy is also incredibly crude, infamously featuring a scene in which Chucky masturbates as part of a plot to impregnate Jennifer Tilly.
A Positive Portrayal Of Trans Characters
However, as a closeted queer kid in the rural West, I loved Seed of Chucky when I rented it in high school and I still love it today. I
can see the flaws and the humor is hit or miss, but Glen/Glenda is presented with empathy without flattening the character into a flawless paragon. It’s the kind of character I would be shocked to see in a movie now, let alone 20 years ago.
Horror movies, in particular, have a long history of using trans or transcoded characters as monstrous serial killers, often implying or outright saying that their gender identity is the cause of their evil.
Seed of Chucky plays with that trope, established by movies like Silence of the Lambs and Psycho, but subverts it by making Glen the ultimate hero of the movie. Chucky, the movie’s clear villain, is presented as a transphobic, abusive parent who Glen ultimately has to overcome.
Stream It Now
There are flaws in Glen/Glenda as a metaphor for the trans and nonbinary experience, but even by modern standards, it’s better than most. Don Mancini is a gay man and has always written queer subtext into the world of Chucky, and it’s clear he put a lot of thought into how Glen/Glenda was presented.
As a result, with transgender rights being a hot-button issue today, Seed of Chucky feels like a movie made for 2024 more than one made for 2004.
The humor and style of Seed of Chucky haven’t aged well, but its heartfelt queer protagonist is more relevant than ever.
The film has become a campy staple of the LGBTQ+ canon and embraced by a niche in the larger Chucky fandom, giving it a legacy beyond its poor mainstream reception. See the shockingly ahead-of-its-time, flawed, fun, horror comedy classic Seed of Chucky streaming on Peacock.
