She’s a Model 3 Generative Android, a lifelike doll programmed to be a child’s greatest companion and a parent’s greatest ally. Our J.P. reviews M3GAN, the latest horror film from James Wan & Blumhouse and starring Allison Williams, Jenna Davis and Violet McGraw.
M3GAN
Universal Pictures
- Directed by Gerard Johnstone
- Screenplay by Akela Cooper
- Story by Akela Cooper, James Wan
- Produced by Jason Blum, James Wan
- Starring Allison Williams, Jenna Davis, Violet McGraw
Studio Synopsis:
From the most prolific minds in horror—JAMES WAN, the filmmaker behind the “Saw,” “Insidious” and “The Conjuring” franchises, and BLUMHOUSE, the producer of the “Halloween” films, “The Black Phone” and “The Invisible Man” — comes a fresh new face in terror.
She’s more than just a toy. She’s part of the family.
M3GAN is a marvel of artificial intelligence, a life-like doll programmed to be a child’s greatest companion and a parent’s greatest ally. Designed by brilliant toy-company roboticist Gemma (“Get Out’s” ALLISON WILLIAMS), M3GAN can listen and watch and learn as she becomes friend and teacher, playmate and protector, for the child she is bonded to. When Gemma suddenly becomes the caretaker of her orphaned 8-year-old niece, Cady (VIOLET MCGRAW, “The Haunting of Hill House”), Gemma’s unsure and unprepared to be a parent. Under intense pressure at work, Gemma decides to pair her M3GAN prototype with Cady in an attempt to resolve both problems—a decision that will have unimaginable consequences. As M3GAN and Cady develop an unbreakable bond, Gemma grows more and more terrified that the very creation she invented to help Cady heal is learning at an exponential rate…and that M3GAN may be perceiving “threats” to Cady that do not exist.
J.P.’s Take:
Alexa and Siri, beware, there is a new cyber threat in our midst. “M3GAN” has infiltrated the real world, and she is not to be toyed with in every sense of the word.
No, she’s not simply a doll: she is a nanny bot with advanced A.I., which makes her a formidable machine. This is a sci-fi/horror/thriller flick that carries the “Terminator” effect as we discover our devices will be the death of us. Unlike “Terminator,” instead, you get a deranged yet comical spin on A.I. gone wrong, as M3GAN herself (physical performance Amie Donald, voiced by Jenna Davis) comes assembled with attitude, killer instinct, and sarcasm.
It all begins when Cady (Violet McGraw) and her parents take a trip up to the Oregon Mountains to go skiing. While driving up a snowy trail, they run into thick snow, unable to go forward. Stuck in the middle of the road, in white-out conditions, they fuss about forgetting to bring chains for the tires. In an instant, a snow plow crashes into their car with a devastating blow, killing Cady’s parents instantly.
With her parents deceased, Cady is taken in by her aunt Gemma (Allison Williams, who is also credited as an executive producer) as her guardian. Realizing she has a moral obligation to care for her niece, Gemma also understands she’s ill-equipped for the task. Being a brilliant roboticist, she reveals a plan that will lift her secret project off the ground while tackling parental duties all at once. BRILLIANT! Or so she thinks.
Horror giants Akela Cooper (“Malignant”) and James Wan (“Saw,” “Insidious” film series, “The Conjuring Universe”) concoct a script that strikes a chord with unsuspecting parents / guardians and tech heads alike. In this day and age, our society relies heavily on digital devices; you’d think these devices were another appendage. The thought that machines will take over our lives is, indeed, a frightening one. Gemma finally unveils M3GAN, the advanced toy, who becomes the personification of that ponderance. She is appropriately named M3GAN (Model 3 Generative Android) and she can learn on the fly and adapt at lightning speed.
When Gemma learns of Cady’s attachment to M3GAN, things get eerie from that point on. One prime example is when Cady goes to a day camp and begs Gemma to bring M3GAN along. The camp director believes M3GAN to be a real girl and Gemma explains that she’s just an advanced android doll. Gemma and the camp director allow Cady to bring M3GAN along after all, but it’s not long before the creepy doll comes to Cady’s rescue. A bully at camp named Brandon (Jack Cassidy) catches Cady alone in the woods and harasses her. M3GAN, sworn to protect Cady at all costs, hears that she’s in distress. She dispenses away with the bully in the most conniving method. M3GAN toys with him, making him think she’s just a silly doll. Brandon throws her to the forest floor and crouches over her, commanding her to speak, yet she doesn’t. Until finally breaking her silence, she grabs his ear saying …”you know, I think bad boys like you need to learn a lesson.” She proceeds to grab his ear and rip it off. She then hunches down like an animal and chases him down, like a wolf hunting prey. It’s a slightly unsettling scene, which suggests how toxic masculinity is aimed toward women.
The hair on the back of your neck will rise even more when you witness the confrontation between Gemma and M3GAN for interfering in family issues. Unbeknownst to many of the characters in the film, M3GAN seems to be a well-mannered young lady. Real and perfect. Until she pops up at the most inopportune time, she is letting you know she is watching and listening closely. Scenes like that make for uneasy humor.
The cast held it together with performances that placed M3GAN in the spotlight. Allison Williams, Violet McGraw, Ronny Chieng, Brian Jordan Alverez, Jen Van Epps, Lori Dungey and Stephan Garneau-Monten, in the roles of Gemma, Cady, David Lin, Cole, Tess, Ceclia, and Kurt, respectively. They were the perfect pawns with lively quirky character flaws ….all ready for M3GAN to knock down.
There are moments of terror as M3GAN makes a few kills, but it hits you on a psychological level as well. It may even raise the notion that parents have gotten away with allowing machines to babysit their children rather than spending quality time with them.
It’s M3GAN’s physical presence that will give you the Heebie-jeebies. The blending of animatronics with CGed effects feels ultimately seated in reality. M3GAN’s responses are cold-blooded and sharp-tongued.
I felt “M3GAN” was wicked good fun.
