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The second season of Don Mancini’s “Chucky” kicked off with a transitional episode that reintroduced Jake Wheeler (Zackary Arthur), Lexy (Alyvia Alyn Lind), and Devon (Bjorgvin Arnarson), then shipped them off to Catholic school. The second episode, “The Sinners Are Much More Fun,” continues their attempts to assimilate into their new surroundings while planting the seeds of revenge for two characters.
But first, the episode starts with Tiffany Valentine’s return (Jennifer Tilly), living in decadence with her pretty-in-pink captive, Nica (Fiona Dourif). Tiffany finally has the life and love she always wanted, save for two pesky little problems: Nica is wanted for murder and just so happens to be sharing a body with former flame Charles Lee Ray.
And Chucky wants his revenge.
CHUCKY — “The Sinners Are Much More Fun”Episode 202 — Pictured: (l-r) Zackary Arthur as Jake Wheeler, Björgvin Arnarson as Devon Evans — (Photo by: Rafy/SYFY)
The main storyline, however, further introduces the Catholic school setting, its faculty, and its classmates. Lexy finds potential conflict through an old school bully and a new roommate with specific quirks and compulsions. Jake and Devon disagree on whether to revert to hiding their relationship considering their new surroundings; and then there’s the return of Chucky to consider. Though fleeting, the appearances of Chucky provide a fascinating insight into his vengeance scheme in this episode.
Currently, the Catholic school setting feels a bit like a reset. It’s high school all over again for Jake, Lexy, and Devon in many ways. Chucky is still a whispered secret that the adults can’t know about; who’d believe the teens at this stage, anyhow? But it does provide new ground for its leads to explore their characters in different ways. “The Sinners Are Much More Fun” continues to peel layers away from Lexy’s mean girl image, ensuring the most evolved character keeps on that path of surprising redemption. Chucky’s switch in tactic also helps ensure this plot thread feels fresh.
CHUCKY — “The Sinners Are Much More Fun”Episode 202 — Pictured: Zackary Arthur as Jake Wheeler — (Photo by: Rafy/SYFY)
Because Chucky’s keeping his plans close to the vest as of now, the body count is minimal in this episode. It’s still more about lining up the pieces and getting reacclimated at this stage. It’s up to the cast and the continually impressive adherence to the franchise’s lengthy history to keep the momentum going. Fiona Dourif’s brief appearance in this episode teases a surprising new side to Nica. More interestingly, Seed of Chucky further integrates with “Chucky”; it’s still an absolute joy to see Tilly poking fun at actress Jennifer Tilly while in character as Tiffany.
“Chucky” continues its playful streak with headmaster Father Bryce, played by returning favorite Devon Sawa. It appears the trolling Sawa receives from Chucky on social media is an extension of the series; Sawa delivers Father Bryce’s warning line about “Idle Hands” without a trace of irony. Well, played “Chucky.” Well played.
Episode two gets a bit more settled into the new season. The central conflicts for Jake, Lexy, and Devon are becoming crystalized, and the teases from Nica and Tiffany instill heavy anticipation for what’s ahead. Revenge is gearing up to play a pivotal role in key character arcs this season, and this episode highlights how even the best laid plans can derail spectacularly. “Chucky” is often at its most delightfully unhinged when characters are forced to adapt around the bloody failures.
Watch new episodes of “Chucky” on Wednesdays at 9/8c on SYFY and USA Network.
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Soft & Quiet opens with the character Emily (Stefanie Estes) crying over another negative pregnancy test inside a restroom stall. Naturally viewers might feel sorry for this person in emotional distress, yet that sense of sympathy gradually fades as the same character, an elementary teacher, talks to one of her students after school. Emily slyly indoctrinates a young boy, teaching him to fear those unlike him. From there Emily then travels by foot to an unknown destination, making the journey with a home-baked pie in her hands and a curious look on her face.
After a considerable trek through a nearby patch of woods, which are in hindsight the only moments of peace in Beth de Araújo’s overwhelming debut, Emily and a few other women gather inside a small church. As everyone at this sparsely attended meeting airs their complaints and bounces ideas off each other, it is abundantly clear the incident at the school wasn’t a one-time event or unique to Emily. On the contrary, Emily and her like-minded peers have all gathered today for the first meeting of the Daughters for Aryan Unity. And after the camera zooms in on a pie with a swastika carved into the center, and after two characters exchange Nazi salutes, the truth becomes more irrefutable; this is a movie about white nationalism.
Other movies in the past have approached racism with caution or used it sparingly, but Soft & Quiet is brazen and unfiltered. The bigotry is said aloud to avoid any ambiguity. And so long as someone chooses to keep watching, they experience white nationalism in its most overlooked form in the media. The characters aren’t seen wearing white hoods or storming the government, and they come from all walks of life. People like Emily hide behind a smile. They are neighbors, colleagues, teachers, and in some cases, friends and family. This social illness has deep and extensive roots in America, and this movie sets out to expose them.
Soft & Quiet is a daring and unique endurance test where every new scene becomes more stressful than the one before it. And after the initial shock of the contentious setup comes the movie’s inciting incident. Emily and her allies, local shop owner Kim (Dana Millican), ex-convict Leslie (Olivia Luccardi) and a disgruntled employee named Marjorie (Eleanore Pienta), all escalate a bad situation at Kim’s liquor store. Two customers (Cissy Ly, Melissa Paulo) come in before closing to buy wine, and because of who they are, Kim initially denies them service. This leads to a charged confrontation between the women, as well as the beginning of the movie’s horror element.
Despite its title, Soft & Quiet’s execution is harsh and its message is loud. The format is a large reason why the moving play is so effective. Araújo puts the viewers squarely in the main characters’ shoes, whether or not they want to be there. The real-time technique makes the entire experience even more uneasy, and the decision to tell the story in one take — really a composite of four long takes — is not only bold but also advantageous. The audience is consumed by the growing and inescapable tension as Emily and her ilk act on their hate. Catching one’s breath is next to impossible here once everything spirals so terribly out of control.
While there are some opposing views here, they are brief or minimal. The pastor who overhears the meeting wants nothing of the sort in his church, though he only adds to the women’s delusion of persecution. And the sole voice of reason among the main group is nowhere to be found once all hell breaks loose. By primarily focusing on Emily and the others, with little resistance or interruption to speak of, Soft & Quiet emphasizes how their certain mindset flourishes when left unchecked or unchallenged. These characters are a terrifying reminder of an active and expanding segment of the U.S., an open secret that people choose to ignore.
The technical skill involved here is impressive, the themes are delivered with conviction, and the performances are astonishing. That all may not be enough to make people watch, though. After all, Soft & Quiet is an abrasive and bleak experiment that isn’t interested in coddling or making the villains sympathetic. Araújo’s movie indeed asks a lot of its audience. Relief is nowhere to be found in this shocking white-power nightmare, though that level of discomfort hopefully encourages much needed conversations about racism and complacency.
Soft & Quiet premiered at SXSW 2022, and is available for Digital rental now.
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