‘M3GAN’’s comedy overshadows its terror – and that’s for the better

Photo courtesy of Geoffrey Short and Universal Pictures

January, a traditionally slow time of year at the box office, is when films are sent out to die. However, “M3GAN” spices up the chilly winter dry spell with a film full of camp and creep.

Director Gerard Johnstone created a film that is reminiscent of horror and science fiction classics, from the likes of “Frankenstein,” “Short Circuit” and of course “Child’s Play.” 

Viewers settle into this world by first meeting one of the deuteragonists, a pre-teen named Cady (Violet McGraw) as she is subjected to a fatal car accident in which both of her parents are taken from her. 

Cady is then thrust into the care of our other main character, her workaholic roboticist aunt Gemma (Allison Willaims). 

The film presents Gemma as unready for the trials of motherhood. Her house is filled with toys, but they are collectibles not to be played with by a child, and is more comfortable talking to her robotic creations than her emotionally wounded niece. 

In Gemma’s work life, things are equally as complicated. Gemma and her team have commandeered $100,000 without permission to build a new kind of doll. Specifically, a Model 3 Generative Android – M3GAN for short. 

 At this point the doll, M3GAN, fills multiple roles in the story, an investment for the future of the company Gemma works for, an emerging antagonist and, most importantly, Cady’s new caretaker.

M3GAN was built with what Gemma calls “emergent capabilities,” which allows M3GAN to collect information at a rapid pace and make decisions based on emergent situations. These situations reveal themselves as copying the bark of a dog and brutally spearing a character with a nail gun.

But when situations arise that need a softer touch, M3GAN is capable of being every girl’s best friend. From cracking jokes to gossiping and even singing a cover of David Guetta’s “Titanium” as a bedtime lullaby. M3GAN can do it all, whether that be for better or worse.

Johnstone does an excellent job of using the uncanny valley – the phenomenon that happens when something is almost, but not quite human – to unsettling effect.

[Violet McGraw, left, as Cady, M3GAN, and Allison Williams as Gemma in “M3GAN,” directed by Gerard Johnstone.]
Photo courtesy of Geoffrey Short and Universal Pictures

M3GAN’s plastic skin and micro expressions give the impression that you’re watching a predator pretending to be human. Her fake blonde hair and Victorian doll style lending even more to this facade.

M3GAN’s actresses do the most to bring her to artificial life. Her voice actress, Jenna Davis, brings all the cold candor of a mean girl to the role, and the physical actress, Amie Donald, does a stunning job with the jittery robotic movements and smooth uncanny dancing. 

None of these details deter Cady however, who bonds with M3GAN throughout the film and comes to see her as a companion and parental figure. 

Other characters are not so complacent with this imposter. When Cady is sent to an alternative school, an instructor then sees M3GAN and reacts how you would expect any normal person would – a loud “Jesus Christ!” 

Insufferable neighbor Celia (Lori Dungey) is creeped out by M3GAN the second she meets her, which is appropriate given the fate of her dog later in the film.  

The real draw of “M3GAN” is not the scares or the tense scenes. It’s the campyness and comedy that carries the film to new heights. 

For example, the film’s opening features an admittedly hilarious parody of the toy “Furby,” which sets the comedic tone before the gruesome death of Cady’s parents. In addition, Ronny Cheng’s performance as  Gemma’s boss is incredibly funny for the few scenes he’s allowed to flex his comedic chops.

M3GAN is, of course, the star of the show in this regard, with highlights being the strange dances she does before chasing characters on all fours like a dog. Along with her infamous delivery of “You should probably run now” – which comes off as intentionally cringy to get a laugh.

Johnstone is intentional in his use of comedy and cringe culture to deliver a film that delights in the weirdest of ways. 

The only thing I wish was handled better was the character work. Gemma, for all intents and purposes, is not a good person, and it is difficult to feel for her throughout the film as she essentially abuses her orphaned niece with a psychopathic android. 

Even Cady feels fairly bare bones, only taking any agency at the very end with a fairly lax performance. But the ending – which I will not spoil – is so good and incredibly wild that I can forgive this. 

“M3GAN” is a campy comedy dressed up in a summer slasher costume. The film is less concerned with its themes around iPad parenting and the horrors of technology, and more interested in making funny marketable moments to enjoy. 

While some may not enjoy this film, I think that meeting the film on its terms and bringing a few friends along for a laugh is the ideal way to experience it. It may not necessarily be the best movie to come out recently, but it is a lot of fun.

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