Parents Guide: The Child's Play franchise: Keep this doll in the toybox

Nearly every Child's Play movie has arrived on Netflix this month except for the 1988 Orion production, which first introduced us to Chucky, the doll who possessed the soul of a killer and ignited rampages in every film since. The franchise is a cult classic due to its gore and the somewhat disturbing use of a child's plaything that'll change your perception of dolls entirely. As a kid in the 80s, I was introduced to horror early as that was the decade's "winning theme" in entertainment. But that doesn't mean other young children should be exposed to it.

Child's Play was partially spoofed as a segment in The Simpsons: "Treehouse of Horror III" in 1992. In the clip, which referenced the 1984 horror film Gremlins and The Twilight Zone from the 1960s, Homer buys Bart a talking Krusty doll for his birthday, only to discover that the doll has a more sinister plan for Homer, which results in a dangerous amount of laughter.

The first movie was recreated for the modern audience in 2019. Mark Hamill of Star Wars fame voices Chucky, replacing Brad Dourif. The SyFy Network launched a series based on Chucky and his origins in 2021, which has yet to be renewed for a fourth season.

Six of the seven movies of the Child's Play block, including Bride of Chucky, Child's Play 2 and 3, Cult of Chucky, Curse of Chucky, and Seed of Chucky, are now on Netflix for your bloody entertainment. But are the films suitable for kids? Or should you stow away this doll in a locked toybox?

The Child's Play franchise Parents Guide an why it received its "R" rating

The Child's Play franchise has checked off every box to gain an "R" rating, as they're filled with cursing, violence, sexual situations, and children's fear. It's safe to say that your kids may not sit still to watch.

Sex & Nudity: There's plenty of sex and nudity as the franchise goes through the years. The first three films hardly had any of these elements. You'll see total exposure of doll bodies (in the unrated versions) and Tiffany impregnating her human form, Jennifer Tilly, by artificial insemination in Seed of Chucky. There are makeout scenes between characters in many of the movies.

Violence: Since Child's Play and its sequels are horror films, you are going to see brutality, murder, and violence, plus other material that isn't appropriate to describe on The Parent Watch. Chucky literally slashes people left and right and goes to extremes with electricity.

The violence is top-tier graphic and gorey, so proceed with caution when viewing if you're sensitive.

Language: The F-bombs are constantly dropped, the "S" word is used, and other swears such as female derogatory descriptors are thrown. There's casual profanity and dirty jokes.

Drinking and drugs: There's moderate smoking and drug use in each film, including the use of marijuana and heavier substances in Cult of Chucky.

The Child's Play franchise appropriate age setting should be 14

The core reason the franchise obtained its "R" rating is the graphic imagery and slasher violence. But Child's Play would be a good horror introduction to 14-year-olds as the films aren't heavy on sex and drugs. If you decide to watch any of the movies with your younger kids, it's best to tell them they're creative fantasies.

The first Child's Play can be watched on MGM+, while its succeeding sequels can be streamed on Netflix.