Single mum Karen (Aubrey Plaza) has just moved with her loner 13-year-old son Andy (Gabriel Bateman) to a new apartment. In an effort to cheer him up she gifts him a returned Buddi doll from the store she works at. Unbeknownst to her though, the doll was reprogrammed by a disgruntled employee to remove all of its safety features.

Child’s Play is a remake of the 1988 film of the same name featuring killer doll Chucky and has had a small amount of controversy surrounding its production. Creator Don Mancini has vocally spoken of his displeasure that the film was remade and is continuing on with the creation of a tv show to follow on from the now seven “Chucky” films. Iconic voice of Chucky Brad Dourif has also not taken part with Mark Hamill taking over.

This modern remake ditches the serial killer’s soul inserted into a doll by voodoo for a statement on modern day sweat shops, whereby a poorly treated employee reprograms the new Buddi doll. This new doll is also a statement on modern day corporations efforts to become part of our everyday life with some adverts (think Robocop) that show how the doll can control every item of technology in your home and learn your daily routine.

Other than these minor statements on technology this remake follows the standard slasher film playbook with some gory deaths and jump scares. I have to say that I found the whole affair interminably dull and not remotely funny or scary. Updating Andy to a teenager may have made it simpler to get an actor but it lessens the impact of the dolls behaviour. The same goes for the fact that this is now a technically malfunctioning toy rather than someone evil inserted into it. Even with really fun and interesting performers like Aubrey Plaza and Brian Tyree Henry (who plays Detective Mike) there is little in the way of laughs or fun.

A really dull reimagining of a cult horror favourite.