Cinematic Releases: M3GAN (2023) - Reviewed

Courtesy of Universal Pictures

James Wan and his Atomic Monster production company in conjunction with Jason Blum’s Blumhouse have been swinging hard lately at newly rendered bonkers over the top takes on familiar horror stories of the 1980s.  Last year it was Wan’s Basket Case meets The Matrix horror hybrid Malignant which was made on a tight budget that paid off swimmingly and this year Wan steps down from the director’s chair to let newcomer Gerard Johnstone take on what is ostensibly an update on the Child’s Play movies with the killer doll horror flick M3GAN opening in theaters today.  Much like the aforementioned Malignant, the film has its tongue firmly planted in cheek as it proceeds to terrorize and thrills horror filmgoers.  Though scary, I’d be lying if I said the sneak preview audience wasn’t eating it up in between screams and laughter.

 
Gemma (Allison Williams from Get Out) is a roboticist at a toy company that designs and sells furby-like electronic children’s toys who abruptly finds her life turned upside down upon the arrival of Cady (Violet McGraw), her orphaned niece who lost both of her parents in a fatal car accident.  Retaining custody of the child, Gemma hastily tries to connect and show support for Cady’s plight.  

After several unsuccessful attempts, Gemma shifts her focus on M3GAN or Model 3 Generative Android for short, a human shaped and formed female doll designed to be a child’s playmate and surrogate parent if need be.  Things seem to be moving in the right direction after Gemma introduces M3GAN to Cady who takes to the doll immediately.  However, in the time-honored tradition of HAL-9000 or Skynet, there comes a point when this M3GAN bot will amass self-awareness and begin wreaking havoc on its human masters.  Worse still, M3GAN is preprogrammed to protect Cady at all costs, even if it means murder.

 
A bit like a Paul Verhoeven film replete with satirical faux commercials and an ED-209 prototype, M3GAN aims to chill with chuckles.  Though rated PG-13 (reportedly with reshoots to bring down the R) which tones down the gory kills contained therein, this is every bit as entertainingly goofy, scary and wacky as last year’s Atomic Monster production.  

Deliriously silly but never to the degree that you find yourself laughing at the whole thing, M3GAN is at once a commentary on our dependence on technological advancements, children’s addiction to technology whether it be videogames or tablets, and an old-fashioned horror romp sure to tickle the fancies of many a horror filmgoer.  Much of the marvel of the film stems from the visual effects designed to render M3GAN, voiced by one actress while physically played by another, resulting in some frankly amazing physical feats which generate wows and laughs in equal measure. 
 
Visually the film looks nice, lensed by two cinematographers Peter McCaffrey (Aquaman) and Simon Raby (Mortal Engines) though their differing styles feel synonymous here.  The score by Promising Young Woman composer Anthony Willis is a nice orchestral score though it tends to take a backseat to the preexisting tracks played throughout as well as times when M3GAN herself sings pop tunes which drew belly laughs from the sneak preview crowd.  

The real marvels here though are Violent McGraw (Doctor Sleep) and child stuntwoman Amie Donald who sits inside the M3GAN costume voiced with devilish glee by Jenna Davis.  The most formidable killer female doll since Jennifer Tilly’s Tiffany in Bride of Chucky though with far more mobility and larger-than-life abilities, M3GAN is a welcome addition to the icons of horror known as killer dolls ala Chucky or Annabelle.

 
While an R rated version would’ve been preferable, M3GAN is one of the hardest PG-13s in recent memory with some grisly gory effects that will get your attention.  Moreover, it’s maybe the most fun you’ll have at the movies this January, an update on a familiar story with some fresh new synthetic blood injected into it.  Though not directed by James Wan, this is pretty clearly his baby and with his Atomic Monster production company he seems to have found his new niche in horror.  

Having moved away from the Saw series entirely and having developed his own unique style and approach to horror, Wan is quickly becoming one of my favorite purveyors of tightly budgeted yet innovative horror films rife with hilarity and technical bravura.  January is usually known as the dumping ground month for movies studios aim to wash their hands of, but M3GAN frankly starts out 2023 with a loud bang.

--Andrew Kotwicki