M3GAN
Disclaimer this article contains spoilers!
M3GAN (2023) is a film directed by Gerard Johnstone. Johnstone’s M3GAN is
a science fiction horror film that follows roboticist Gemma (Allison Williams).
She gets the task to create a cheaper version of the company’s latest toy but
rather focuses on a doll called M3GAN (voiced by Jenna Davis). The doll is
designed to be a child’s ultimate friend. Powered by artificial intelligence,
M3GAN can learn and improve her systems all by herself. When Gemma’s
sister passes away, she has to step up and take care of her niece Cady
(Violet McGraw).
Gemma is not familiar with kids and therefore does not know how to bond
with her niece. This is why she gifts M3GAN to Cady. When Gemma’s boss
finds out about M3GAN, he sees this as his chance to get rich, so he rushes
M3GAN through beta testing with Cady as their only subject. The doll is, from
the first minute on, undoubtedly evil. M3GAN goes to great lengths to, in her
words, ‘keep Cady safe’.
She stretches the ears of a little boy, kills a dog, and gives a killer dance
performance before killing Gemma’s boss.
The story behind M3GAN plays off people’s fear of technology. We have been
talking about robots/artificial intelligence taking over the world for years
now, and M3GAN embodies this technophobia. The ‘robot turns on its
creator’ trope isn’t anything new but unlike other movies with the same
trope, M3GAN is aware of its absurdity. There are plenty of comedic
moments that you would not see in other classic horrors. Because of its PG-
13 rating, there is limited violence, and therefore watchable for people who
would normally shy away from this genre.
The marketing campaign for the movie M3GAN made the movie extra
appealing to its Gen-Z audience. Taylor Swift licensed her song “It’s Nice To
Have a Friend” for the trailer and also soundtracked public stunts that
involved dance groups dressed like the doll to perform a creepy
choreography. These ‘M3GANS” have been spotted on top of the Empire
State Building and the Los Angeles premiere. Another reason why the movie
is so popular with Gen-Z is that they love female villains. People find the so-
called ‘female rage’ interesting, and refreshing as slasher movies (a
sub4genre of horror) usually have male villains who prey on the weak, often,
young women.
M3GAN is already an icon in pop culture, but that doesn’t mean that the
movie is flawless. The characters are all clichés (e.g. a socially awkward nerd
roboticist, a boss who takes credits for his employees ideas, killing the
irritating neighbor’s dog), and some of their storylines felt unnecessary. A
sequel has already been announced, which gives the writers plenty of time
Disclaimer this article contains spoilers!
M3GAN (2023) is a film directed by Gerard Johnstone. Johnstone’s M3GAN is
a science fiction horror film that follows roboticist Gemma (Allison Williams).
She gets the task to create a cheaper version of the company’s latest toy but
rather focuses on a doll called M3GAN (voiced by Jenna Davis). The doll is
designed to be a child’s ultimate friend. Powered by artificial intelligence,
M3GAN can learn and improve her systems all by herself. When Gemma’s
sister passes away, she has to step up and take care of her niece Cady
(Violet McGraw).
Gemma is not familiar with kids and therefore does not know how to bond
with her niece. This is why she gifts M3GAN to Cady. When Gemma’s boss
finds out about M3GAN, he sees this as his chance to get rich, so he rushes
M3GAN through beta testing with Cady as their only subject. The doll is, from
the first minute on, undoubtedly evil. M3GAN goes to great lengths to, in her
words, ‘keep Cady safe’.
She stretches the ears of a little boy, kills a dog, and gives a killer dance
performance before killing Gemma’s boss.
The story behind M3GAN plays off people’s fear of technology. We have been
talking about robots/artificial intelligence taking over the world for years
now, and M3GAN embodies this technophobia. The ‘robot turns on its
creator’ trope isn’t anything new but unlike other movies with the same
trope, M3GAN is aware of its absurdity. There are plenty of comedic
moments that you would not see in other classic horrors. Because of its PG-
13 rating, there is limited violence, and therefore watchable for people who
would normally shy away from this genre.
The marketing campaign for the movie M3GAN made the movie extra
appealing to its Gen-Z audience. Taylor Swift licensed her song “It’s Nice To
Have a Friend” for the trailer and also soundtracked public stunts that
involved dance groups dressed like the doll to perform a creepy
choreography. These ‘M3GANS” have been spotted on top of the Empire
State Building and the Los Angeles premiere. Another reason why the movie
is so popular with Gen-Z is that they love female villains. People find the so-
called ‘female rage’ interesting, and refreshing as slasher movies (a
sub4genre of horror) usually have male villains who prey on the weak, often,
young women.
M3GAN is already an icon in pop culture, but that doesn’t mean that the
movie is flawless. The characters are all clichés (e.g. a socially awkward nerd
roboticist, a boss who takes credits for his employees ideas, killing the
irritating neighbor’s dog), and some of their storylines felt unnecessary. A
sequel has already been announced, which gives the writers plenty of time
