James Wan continues to be a naster in the horror genre. From his bloody beginning with the Saw franchise to the creepy Conjuring and Insidious films - Wan and Co. always deliver entertaining horror bits every couple of years. During the pandemic, Wan gave the world Malignant, a new breed of horror that combined almost every genre along with the kitchen sink with classic horror tropes, jump scares, John Wick-style action, and a reveal that had everybody's jaw on the floor with laughter and shock. It shouldn't be any surprise that Malignant writer Akela Cooper came back to pen the script for M3GAN with filmmaker Gerard Johnstone (Housebound) behind the camera. With Allison Williams (Get Out, Perfection) as the perfect star, M3GAN connects every wire perfectly for a deliciously wild great time in the theater, full of laughs and genuinely scary moments of horror.
M3GAN, which stands for Model 3 Generative Android, is fully self-aware just like the robotic doll herself in its dialogue and story. It plays to the satire of technology in today's society of how we humans rely on it to function in our busy lives. From cellular devices to gaming systems, and smart hubs, these devices more or less run human lives in a variety of aspects. With M3GAN, Allison Williams plays Gemma, an inventor, and roboticist for a toy company that makes a popular child's toy similar to those iconic and pesky Furbees. But Gemma's new interest is in a lifesize doll with artificial intelligence that will become a child's best friend and help parents in their daily lives raise their young ones. So basically like the new and improved Good Guy Doll with a ton of bells and whistles.
Gemma takes in her young niece Cady (Violet McGraw) after an accident where she prototypes this M3GAN unit to help Cady cope with her grief and keep her happy while Gemma works. Has there ever been a robot film where the mechanical asshole doesn't try and kill everyone, besides the Robin Williams vehicle Bicentennial Man? Probably not. So as time goes on, M3GAN learns more and more about human culture until people start turning up dead in violent ways. In between those ultra-haunting moments with M3GAN are some truly funny situations where humans interact with this robotic doll. Not only that, there are subtle hilarious bits of comedy that show up out of nowhere that include a disheveled police detective who laughs at people's tragedies and then acknowledges it. These are the moments that keep M3GAN self-aware and in on the joke and satire, it's showcasing.
And it's obvious that Wan, Cooper, and Johnstone are having a blast behind the camera as their visuals pay homage in a blissful and hilarious way to movies like E.T., Child's Play, and other creepy toy and doll films that came before it. Everybody turns in solid performances including The Daily Show's senior correspondent Ronny Chieng as the stern and idiotic CEO of the robotic company, but the spotlight is truly on Allison Williams. She is the Queen of horror nowadays and just commands the screen every time she's on with her pitch-perfect performances and physical stuntwork. The one major complaint here is its PG-13 rating. It definitely hindered the horror element of it and could have been even better with that extra dose of gore, blood, and entrails, since many blunt instruments of death are used throughout the film. It would just enhance that level of fun here, but perhaps it was a marketing move to make way for an uncut edition later on home video.
Even with its PG-13 rating, M3GAN is a huge success in the horror genre. Its ability to have a great time with itself is infectious and brings the world a brand new villainous character that no doubt will show up in costume form and cosplay around the world later in the year. And of course, there is already talk of sequels, which is very welcome if its tone remains the same. M3GAN is entertaining as hell and one great film too. start off 2023. Highly Recommended!
