The marketing campaign for “M3gan” has embraced the eerie allure of its titular character—a diminutive cyborg with wide, doe-like eyes, a disheveled wig, and the attire of a repressed 1950s lesbian headmistress. And the strategy is paying off: strategically placed GIFs here, activations featuring several women dressed as M3gan there, and Blumhouse, masters of creating buzz, have garnered more attention for “M3gan” than the last five horror films combined, all dumped unceremoniously into the desolate theatrical landscape of early January. But there’s another intriguing twist: this film hails from the mind behind “Malignant.”
For “Malignant,” James Wan directed a script crafted by Akela Cooper, a seasoned TV writer with a penchant for horror. Together, they expertly balanced haunted-house scares and outrageous grotesquery, propelling “Malignant” to viral fame upon its HBO Max release in fall 2021. Cooper, now a seasoned horror screenwriter and television stalwart, has been welcomed into the Blumhouse family. She’s been tasked with developing a sequel to the “Conjuring”-verse spin-off “The Nun” and, most notably, crafting the story for “M3gan,” alongside Wan.
“M3gan” knowingly revels in its own absurdity. It dives headfirst into a pool of ridiculousness, embracing the sheer madness of its premise. Cooper’s screenplay for “M3gan” takes a more overtly comedic approach than “Malignant,” aiming for a broader appeal. (During a Chicago preview, the audience responded with enthusiastic zeal.) The film delves into classic “science gone awry” territory, echoing themes seen in works from “Frankenstein” to “Jurassic Park.” Additionally, it explores contemporary anxieties about motherhood, all filtered through the knowingly silly lens of the “tiny terrors” subgenre. While “Child’s Play” is the most prominent reference point in this category, comparisons between M3gan (an acronym for “Model 3 Generative ANdroid”) and Chucky are inevitable. Their motivations, however, differ significantly: Chucky’s victim was his owner, young Andy, whereas M3gan fiercely protects her charge, nine-year-old Cady (played by Violet McGraw).
The film kicks off with a sequence that sets the stage for its garish satire and mischievous morbidity. Cady, engrossed in play with a Furby-like toy called a Purrpetual Pet, witnesses a tragic accident claiming her parents’ lives. Enter Gemma (Allison Williams), an inventor working for a high-tech toy company in Seattle. Gemma, now Cady’s aunt and legal guardian, struggles to balance her demanding job with her newfound parental responsibilities. Enter M3gan, presented as the ideal solution: an experimental prototype with an ability akin to “Short Circuit,” capable of absorbing infinite amounts of information. M3gan becomes Cady’s 24/7 companion, allowing parents to reclaim their lives while their children are captivated by their toys. It seems like a perfect arrangement, bound for success. What could possibly go wrong?
Under the nimble direction of Gerard Johnstone, known for “Housebound,” “M3gan” adeptly weaves its themes without becoming overly didactic. While it certainly addresses themes of grief and the consequences of creations surpassing their creators, the film also revels in pithy one-liners, black comedy, and the disquieting spectacle of something resembling a human yet moving and sounding nothing like one. Although the plot displays a few weak points and unresolved threads, and the PG-13 rating curtails some of its potential bloodiness, the consistently tongue-in-cheek tone transforms “M3gan” into an absolute delight.
Johnstone ingeniously exploits the uncanny valley aspect of M3gan’s character, directing the petite stuntwomen portraying her to move in odd, jerky gestures reminiscent of various iconic moments in cinema history. Combined with M3gan’s sassy comebacks and peculiar fashion sense, the effect is pure camp—an achievement in an era saturated with irony.
The quintessential “M3gan” moment arrives midway through the film when Cady and Gemma visit a potential school for Cady. A teacher approaches Gemma’s car, spotting what she assumes are two girls in the back seat. M3gan turns mechanically toward the teacher, emitting a whirring sound. “Jesus Christ!” the teacher exclaims, leaping back in shock, a nervous laugh escaping her lips. The audience echoes her laughter. It’s the natural reaction to encountering something as uncanny as M3gan—a response only mitigated by conditioning, or in this case, advertising.