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M3GAN
(Universal Pictures/Blumhouse Productions)
By Lucas Allen
Creepy dolls have been a mainstay in horror since “The Twilight Zone” classic episode “Living Doll.” 1988’s “Child’s Play” made a star out of killer doll Chucky. For the 21st century, Blumhouse’s “M3GAN” upgrades the killer doll as a robot with its own soul and a motivation to commit its killings. Directed by Gerard Johnstone, the script is written by James Wan and Akeela Cooper, who previously wrote the twisty horror flick “Malignant.”
Robotics designer Gemma (Alison Williams) is under pressure from her boss David (Ronny Chieng) to come up with a hot new toy to rival the competition. But her steady work life is interrupted when she becomes guardian to her 9-year old niece Cady (Violet McGraw), whose parents recently died in a tragic car accident. Unable to balance her newfound parenting with her job, Gemma decides to make it easier by designing a special AI doll meant to be a friend for her niece. She made M3GAN (short for Model 3 Generative AN-droid) that soon became attached to Cady as time goes on.
However, it’s not long before the robot’s programming begins to evolve and become self-aware to the point that she’s willing to protect Cady at any cost. It includes dealing with a nosy neighbor’s dog, an older bully in the woods, and Gemma’s lack of parenting skills. Though she’s becoming aware of her toy’s fatal flaws, Gemma finds herself in a terrifying spot when David wants to rush the beta product to market. It’s more horrifying when M3GAN’s growing terror goes beyond any comprehension.
Comparisons to Child’s Play are inevitable though this film is more on par with the 2019 remake while mixing with certain elements from the Terminator movies. Basically, it’s a preposterous plot, but the movie is able to let it run wild for its audience. Though it’s less horror and more dark social satire, this movie nicely plays with the idea of society depending too much on technology and mold it into a story perfectly suited for this decade and the movie also tries to mix the satire with some family melodrama to mixed results. It’s nice to have a subplot about a child dealing with grief in a film about a living doll, but it could sometimes lead to groan-worthy dialogue and stock scenes of drama. With a bit of rewriting, it could’ve helped the story more if the child lost a real friend and gained a new one in the form of M3GAN.
It works best when it lets the horror take over certain scenes including M3GAN disposing of her victims any way she can. The final act is certainly the movie’s highlight including the robot’s dance routine that became a viral sensation after the trailer’s release. The comedy aspect of the horror also works well with the far-fetched plot. In all, it’s some of the most entertaining horror/comedy in years.
M3GAN herself was performed by Amie Donald and voiced by Jenna Davis, and those performances combined with some innovative practical effects give the character that seemingly innocent look and creepy presentation. This movie proves you don’t need CGI blood and gore to create effective scary moments. Williams is fine in the lead role, but she lacks emotional depth to be a convincing parental figure. McGraw is also fine though her character was written with bizarre choices that are questionable at best.
While January is usually the dumping ground for horror films, “M3GAN” goes above that norm and makes it work well for what it does. When it’s funny, it’s funny and when it’s scary, it’s scary. That’s pretty much all that matters for a film like this.
THE MOVIE’S RATING: PG-13 (for violent content and terror, some strong language, and a suggestive reference)
THE CRITIC’S RATING: 3 Stars (Out of Four)
