AKA: MEGAN

M3GAN 2023 Movie

When a horror movie manages to go viral even before its release, there’s always the question of whether it will work beyond the meme. The surprising thing about M3GAN is that it not only delivers what the trailers and countless clips promised, but it also manages to sustain such a ridiculous yet entertaining idea for its entire runtime. The concept is simple: a creepy doll, half artificial intelligence and half child’s toy, that spins out of control. We’ve seen it before in countless variations, from Chucky to Annabelle, but the twist here is in the tone. With James Wan producing and Gerard Johnstone directing, the film knows the key isn’t just scares but a balance of horror and dark comedy with a satirical edge. M3GAN herself becomes a pop icon, with absurd dances and one-liners seemingly built for TikTok virality. It’s not flawless. Some parts of the story are predictable, and a few side characters don’t get much depth. But the film never takes itself too seriously, and that works in its favor. Every time it risks falling into cliché, M3GAN herself pulls it back with a look, a song, or a gesture that breaks the tension and makes you laugh. The cast does its job well, especially young Violet McGraw, who brings the innocence needed to keep things grounded. Allison Williams balances drama and satire nicely, without overplaying it. And most importantly: the design of M3GAN is hauntingly magnetic. Her robotic movements, fixed stare, and artificial smile are images that stick with you. In the end, M3GAN doesn’t try to reinvent the genre or deliver a deep lecture on AI. It’s built to entertain, to toy with the audience between scares and laughs, and to introduce a character that we’ll likely see again in future installments. It may not be truly terrifying, but as a shared theater experience, it’s a blast: the kind of movie you enjoy most surrounded by strangers, laughing and jumping together. It won’t be remembered as a classic like The Exorcist or a stylistic triumph like Hereditary, but it does have something many horror films lack: rhythm, charisma, and a character already cemented as a new horror legend.

I expected more from this one. The story of a doll/toy going out of control has been done and this doesn't add a whole lot new apart from the themes of attachment and human relationships vs machine. None of the attempts at jump scares worked. The daughter changes from having an attachment disorder with M3GAN to doing a 180 and trying to kill it too quickly.