the mad, exhausted Latin teacher, everything in 'Child's Play' seems to be rather cheaply tricky — such as the low-range photography and floor lighting designed to throw faces into eerie relief. In a more thoughtful film, the screen play and the performances might have been expected to create the sense of true menace and mystery. Even more irritating is the soundtrack, full of ominous clicking noises that are so loud and so resonant that one can't believe that the characters inside the film can't hear them, too." Variety called the film "a taut and suspenseful drama," further stating that "Sidney Lumet's direction catches the mood and spirit of an unhealthy situation and he makes every move count," and Mason gives a "solid performance." Gene Siskel of the Chicago Tribune rated the film 2 stars out of 4 and wrote "Because the look of the film is so artificial, and because the guilty party can be only one person — the only one with a genuine motive — 'Child's Play' is a small disaster as both horror story and mystery." A positive review from Charles Champlin of the Los Angeles Times called the film "a superior psychological thriller" that "works a few mild deceptions on the audience to achieve its ends, but no one is likely to care very much. Getting there is all the scary pleasure." Champlin added that "Mason's performance, in its power and also in its subtle shifting, ranks with the best portrayals in his long, impressive career." Gary Arnold of The Washington Post wrote "In a better play or movie we might have learned what makes one man despise another so intensely that he thinks he's justified in destroying him. In 'Child's Play' we get a load of ominous, evil-minded humbug, a vicious dumb show with schoolboys acting like zombie killers, constantly lurking in the shadows and inflicting nasty accidents." See also List of American films of 1972 References External links 1972 films 1970s mystery drama films American mystery drama films American films based on plays Paramount Pictures films Films directed by Sidney Lumet Films scored by Michael Small Films set in schools Films set in New York City 1972 drama films 1970s English-language films 1970s American films