M3GAN is a sci-fi horror thriller with a familiar premise, but its ingredients are interesting. It may be considered a new Child’s Play, and while those comparisons are inevitable, it has plenty of smarts, laughs, and even some scares that make it effective.
Allison Williams from Get Out stars as Gemma, an inventor at a toy company who is granted guardianship of her niece Cady (Violet McGraw) after her parents die in a car accident.
Gemma is so desperate for her company to invent a new product that will make them a success. She has a prototype that she’s been working on known as M3GAN, a life-like doll to be a child’s companion. Gemma tries it on Cady, and the two instantly hit it off.
M3GAN is programmed to protect Cady from physical and emotional harm, but Gemma gets concerned after some of M3GAN’s antics make her question the effectiveness of M3GAN’s abilities. For example, when Gemma takes Cady to a school to interact with other kids, a boy bullies Cady and M3GAN becomes immediately aggressive.
Just like in any other man or, in this case, woman vs. machine story, the robot becomes self-aware and tries to control others. This is where the movie goes into predictable territory, but that doesn’t stop it from being intriguing.
M3GAN is another thriller that could’ve easily had nothing to offer beyond its premise. Instead, it subverts the formula by creating dark, campy humor, as in M3GAN’s dance routine, and also offers a satirical edge.
I appreciate the fact that the movie has an intelligent undercurrent to match up with its scares and laughs, and while the PG-13 rating does push it a little bit, there’s more than enough for horror fans to digest.
M3GAN proves that playtime’s over. This may be a leap forward for this kind of horror.
Grade: A-
(Rated PG-13 for violent content and terror, some strong language and a suggestive reference.)
