Child's Play(2019)
2019 · Lars Klevberg · 90 min
Karen, a single mother, gifts her son Andy a Buddi doll for his birthday, unaware of its more sinister nature. A contemporary re-imagining of the 1988 horror classic.
Horror
6.02.1k votes
TMDB score
3/5
Intensity
3/5
Gore
1/5
Stays with you
How Child's Play scares
There's a nervous, darkly funny energy running through this one, like watching a gadget you own slowly turn against you. The pace moves quickly once the doll starts acting up, mixing stalking scenes with sudden bursts of violence rather than long stretches of quiet dread. Because the threat here is a malfunctioning smart toy instead of anything magical, the fear feels more like a tech-gone-wrong thriller than a ghost story. It's built to be a fun, gory ride with some genuine tension, not something that will haunt you afterward.
On The Horror Database's 0–5 scare profile, Child's Play rates psychological 2/5, visceral 4/5, gore 3/5, lingering effect 1/5, and overall intensity 3/5.
- Psychological: 2 of 5
- Visceral: 4 of 5
- Gore: 3 of 5
- Lingering: 1 of 5
- Intensity: 3 of 5
Slow burn vs Jump scares: 65 of 100 — leans Jump scares
Supernatural vs Real-world: 85 of 100 — leans Real-world
Fun-scary vs Disturbing: 20 of 100 — leans Fun-scary
Intensity over runtime
Shape only — no eventsReveal pacing shapeHide pacing shapeHidden by default — shows where the tension peaks and lets up.
A slow-build setup gives way to steadily escalating tension that turns into a chaotic, action-heavy final stretch.
Intensity across the runtime, 0 to 100: 1, 1, 2, 2, 2, 3, 3, 3, 4, 4, 5, 4.
How scary is Child's Play?
On The Horror Database's 0–5 intensity scale, Child's Play rates 3/5 — solidly scary, delivering its fear through jump scares more than lingering dread. It attacks the body more than the mind — physical, in-your-face horror. Expect it to be moderately gory and fun-first. The dread fades once the credits roll.
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