Fans of Child's Play know how intelligent and, therefore, horrifying the killer doll Chucky is. He enjoys killing and always has a lot to say before he attacks each victim, and he stands out among other dolls as he's so chatty. When watching the first film in the franchise from 1988, which had a worldwide gross of $33,244,684, according to Box Office Mojo, it's clear that there is a stronger message here than just a toy who comes to life and murders people.

From a single parent trying to make ends meet to raise her son to the way that she buys the doll in the first place, there's a lot about Child's Play that speaks to how kids consume toys and how certain items are marketed. It's also a portrait of a character who doesn't have a lot of money.

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The killer doll Chucky is classic and while he's always the most memorable part of the slasher franchise, the first movie says a lot about consumerism, class, and money. Andy Barclay (Alex Vincent) lives with his mom Karen (Catherine Hicks) and no dad in a small, humble apartment. She struggles to make enough money to purchase the doll that he has been dreaming of as a birthday present, and when Chucky's evil comes into their lives, it's clear that they're already dealing with a lot.

Chucky the doll in Child's Play movie

Chucky keeps coming back and is scary, but the setting of Child's Play says a lot about consumerism, making money, and how easy it is to get caught up in wanting a certain material object. Karen is a sweet, devoted mom and her scenes at the beginning of the show are as sad as any drama, as she disappoints Andy by buying him clothes and a Good Guy tool set instead of the large doll that he desperately wants. Karen isn't able to spend Andy's entire birthday evening with him as her mean manager at the department store where she works asks her to cover a shift.

Karen's best friend Maggie Peterson (Dinah Manoff) babysits Andy, which is of course a terrible idea as it's clear from the start what's going to happen. It will be great to catch up with Chucky in season 2 of the SyFy series as he's always fascinating thanks to his conversation and plans. It's telling that the first big death in Child's Play happens because Karen can't say no to an extra shift because she needs to make money and because the Good Guy doll branding in the story is so strong.

While the Child's Play reboot isn't great, the 1988 movie has a smart scene when Maggie tells Karen that she can buy the Good Guy doll at a discounted price. It turns out that a homeless man outside the store is selling it and so she's able to get one. This moment shows that Karen is a struggling single parent who is down on her luck and that all she wants is to make her child happy. It's definitely sad that buying this doll is what starts a killing spree that Karen and Andy are shocked and terrified by.

There are many disappointing horror sequels, and in Child's Play 2, Andy lives with foster parents because his mom has been sent to an institution for believing that Chucky is a real evil doll. Horror fans debate which movies in the Child's Play franchise they think are the best and which ones they haven't loved, so people differ on the sequel. But it's definitely tough to think about little Andy being treated this way and growing up away from his mom, who loves him and only wanted what was best for him. This speaks to the tough experiences that the main characters have already had before Chucky shows up, and it proves that he makes their lives even worse. Fans agree that they don't like Child's Play 3 as Andy is a 16-year-old in military school, and it's terrible to think that Andy and his mom never live together again.

Chucky from Child's Play

The message of consumerism is strong and it's important that Andy is only six years old in this movie. He wants a Good Guy doll more than anything and the beginning of the film brilliantly and perfectly shows how well young kids respond to this type of advertising. Andy wears Good Guy-themed pajamas that look like Chucky's colorful striped sweater and denim overalls, he watches a Good Guy TV show, and he even messily pours his mom some Good Guy cereal when bringing her breakfast in bed. Andy's age is key here as if he was a pre-teen or adolescent, he would definitely be able to ignore the lure of these dolls, but he's exactly the right age to see this marketing and like it.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, a lot of thought was put into what the doll would be like. Creator Don Mancini said, I was inspired by my sisters’ dolls — they peed, you could make their hair grow... And since we were doing a satire on marketing, the idea was that when you’re playing with the doll, if you played too rough with it the latex skin would break and then this blood would start to seep out, so you had to go out and buy official Good Guy band-aids to put on. It was just a way to sell products."

There are many scary horror movie dolls and the marketing of Chucky is what gets under Andy's skin in the first film. Chucky says "you're my friend to the end" and Andy doesn't want to listen to what Karen or Maggie have to say as he loves Chucky and has already built a bond with him. This is ultimately what gives Chucky the power: the fact that kids adore him. This is even true in season 1 of the Chucky TV show when Lexy Cross's (Alyvia Alyn Lind) younger sister Caroline (Carina London Battrick) who is manipulated by Chucky for a while.

While fans don't love every film in the Child's Play franchise, there is a lot to appreciate about the first one, thanks to what it has to say about how badly a kid wants a specific toy and what his mom will do to get it.

NEXT: Should There Be More Child's Play Movies?