MOVIE REVIEW: M3GAN
Image courtesy of Universal Pictures
The use of technology as a supplemental aid for various hardships or inconveniences isn’t new, but it certainly has become much more common. Cars that can prevent accidents, phones that you can talk to, the list is seemingly infinite in 2023. But at what cost does this come?
M3GAN seeks to unpack this tumultuous relationship, in the package of a horror film. When Cady’s (Violet McGraw) parents die in a car accident she is sent to live with her aunt Gemma, a designer at the industry-leading smart toy company Funki. While their relationship is off to a rocky start Gemma realizes that she could use a failed design, titled M3GAN, to solve her work and home problems. But after she pairs the life-like doll with her niece things start to go awry.
While the similarities are absolutely there, it is a pretty big feat to take on the killer doll storyline when others have already done it exceedingly well. Child’s Play is the clear favorite in the horror community, which also was created under the guise of socially conscious horror (specifically the boom of consumerism for children in the 80s) and many others have tried and failed to compete. Thankfully that is not the case for this film, in fact, I would go as far as to say this is about as close as you can get to perfection for a modern interpretation of these elements.
While there is absolutely room to nitpick I don’t feel that is of any importance when looking at the narrative as a whole. We are inching closer every day to full-on AI replacements for humans, which should absolutely be a huge concern for everyone. That’s where this movie succeeds, in taking those anxieties and turning them into a living nightmare.
This is executed well by in large because of the spectacular special FX. This has to be the first movie I think I have ever seen where the whole film made me ponder “is this practical or computer generated?”. The detail and intricacies largely impact the immersion into the story, allowing you to focus on M3GAN’s actions, not her looks.
I can say without a doubt that this deserves large praise. I look forward to watching it again and very rarely do I say this, but I hope there is a sequel.
