‘M3GAN’ shocks critics: ‘A future cult classic’ introducing ‘a rubber-faced horror megastar’
On January 6, 2023, “M3GAN” is released in theaters nationwide. The sci-fi comedy horror flick from director Gerard Johnstone stars Allison Williams as Gemma, a robotocist for a toy company who unexpectedly becomes the caretaker of her 8-year-old niece, Cady (Violet McGraw). In an effort to ease her stress and provide a companion for the youngster, Gemma pairs the child up with a M3GAN prototype to help keep her safe. Unfortunately, the doll takes on a life of it’s own!
The premise may sound absurd, but early reviews are overwhelmingly positive. It has an impressive freshness rating of 98% on Rotten Tomatoes with the consensus reading, “Unapologetically silly and all the more entertaining for it, M3GAN is the rare horror-comedy that delivers chuckles as effortlessly as chills.”
Alyse Wax of Collider predicts a bright future for the film, comparing it to 2022’s “Malignant.” She writes, “It is fun, it is funny, and it is weird. One of the best shots in the film has M3GAN sitting on a toy table, surrounded by traditional stuffed teddy bears and puppies and whatnot. And then there is M3GAN, sitting silently, with a grave expression on her blank, not-quite-human face.” The doll itself is a marvel of puppetry, human acting, and special effects. “The human actors are also great. Allison Williams brought her A-game, as always, playing Gemma as an overwhelmed aunt who thinks she has it all under control. Especially impressive is young Violet McGraw, who was endearing as Cady, bringing both a sadness over the death of her parents and a joy over her new friend. She is a brat when she needs to be, and she is caring when the time is right.” In the end, “Director Gerard Johnstone knocked it out of the park with his second film.”
Leah Greenblatt of Entertainment Weekly calls the film “blithely self-aware, negligibly jump-scary, and mostly very fun.” Williams is praised, even though testing the doll with her own niece is questionable to say the least. “She is also, it turns out, unfailingly loyal, less like a lap dog than a four-foot mafioso.” Greenblatt adds, “The Doll Designed by Satan is hardly a new horror concept even for Wan, the man who gave us several Annabelles, and the arc of the story too, is almost comfortingly familiar: You know who’s marked for death as soon as they walk on screen (rest in pieces, bully boy).”
SEE ‘M3GAN’ trailer promises silly thills and scares: ‘Child’s Play’ for the TikTok generation?
Matt Donato of IGN Movies opens by stating “Gerard Johnstone’s M3GAN proves itself more than gifable android dances and NFL halftime shows — a movie that pays off viral hype with the production goods.” Also calling the doll a combination of “American Girl” and “American Psycho,” it packs quite a wallop. “M3GAN strives to be a cautionary tale about our 21st-century obsession with technology through the eyes of a career woman thrust into motherhood not by choice, but fate.” A horror icon has been born in Donato’s eyes as “she’s a rubber-faced horror megastar.” Adding, “Did I even hear M3GAN tickling Martika’s ‘Toy Soldiers’ on piano during a standoff conversation with Gemma? These are the moments that maketh M3GAN.” Overall, a bloody blast.
Joey Magidson of Awards Radar praises the film for going big and differentiating itself from other killer dolls on screen. “Absolutely ridiculous and both intentionally/unintentionally funny, M3GAN is a future cult classic. In the moment? It’s a mixed bag. Honestly, it feels like the audience is doing a lot of the work here, making for a bit of a one-sided relationship.” Those going in with a stone face might not enjoy it as much. “Allison Williams and Violet McGraw are the only two characters with any semblance of background and development, but even then, it’s minimal.” But, that is intentional as the murderous doll is the star of the show after all. He concludes, “M3GAN has things going for it, but the tonal whiplash, alongside the unnecessary dog death, kept me a bit more at arm’s length than obviously intended. I may well wind up in the minority here, but the good does not outweigh the bad here. Is it a bit on the fun side? Sure. Is it also disappointing, given the potential for something even more ridiculous? Absolutely. Alas…”
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