“I’m the playdate your priest forgot to warn you about.” — Chucky
“She never speaks—she rearranges consequences.” — Lorraine Warren

The artifact exhibit opens in Derry’s old courthouse; the glass fogs and a latch clicks from the inside. Brad Dourif’s razor‑smirk rides a Good Guy giggle as Chucky skates a dolly cart through velvet ropes, carving his name in oak. Annabelle just… sits—and pews inch into a circle, strollers roll uphill, and a rosary slithers across marble to meet her.

Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson sprint doctrine: salt lines, sealed cases, “do not touch” becoming “do not breathe.” The cut ricochets: a toy‑store lockdown under emergency strobes, a ferry chapel tilting as the case walks itself, a claw machine full of Good Guys where only one swears back, and a daycare puppet stage that starts the show with no hands.

Sound design is mean and playful—toy piano plinks, china rasps, then sound drops out like the room is holding its breath. Tiffany (Jennifer Tilly) leaves a lipstick‑loud voicemail; Sister Irene signs a prayer when her voice gets stolen; Chucky quips, “Some assembly required—bring blood.” Final sting: the Good Guy box appears inside Annabelle’s case, the museum lights die, and when they come up the case is empty—except for four tiny scratches that spell HI.