Arts & Culture

‘M3GAN’ is a blast

The internet’s favorite doll makes for one of the best theater-going experiences of the year.

M3GAN is a wild ride that leans into its utter absurdity, writes Ally Werstler.

Ally Werstler, Staff Writer
January 16, 2023

A doll that can sing, dance and murder…impossible, right? Surprisingly no, because Blumhouse and Universal’s newest film “M3GAN” has you covered on all fronts and contains many more surprises. Directed by newcomer Gerard Johnstone, the film is a horror satire starring Allison Williams (“Get Out”) and Violet McGraw (“The Haunting of Hill House”) as a millennial aunt and her young, spunky niece trying to cope with the latter’s parents’ deaths. From the surprisingly solid special effects to the great comedy, “M3GAN” is a wildly entertaining film that will delight horror and comedy fans alike.

From the opening scene, which depicts a wacky commercial for a Furby-like toy, the audience members know they are in for a wild ride. Such an opening sets up a central theme of the film — the absurdity of the children’s toy industry. Stressing the point of absurdity, “M3GAN” becomes increasingly bonkers, and audience members, including myself, adored these shenanigans. Others and I laughed uncontrollably almost every other minute, as “M3GAN’s” purposeful cringiness is incredibly hilarious. If you are familiar with the viral dancing scene, then I am pleased to tell you that that is only the beginning of this rollercoaster of a film.

Done on a relatively small budget (for Hollywood) of $12 million, “M3GAN” surprises moviegoers with great practical and visual effects, most notably the title’s robotic doll that organically blends into every scene. Further adding to the film’s greatness is the amazing Violet McGraw as Allison William’s niece Cady. McGraw truly gives it her all and plays perfectly into the hilarious interactions with the robotic doll. However, McGraw’s stellar performance could not have been possible without the fast-paced screenplay written by Akela Cooper who candidly demonstrates the naivety of a seven-year-old. McGraw’s co-star, Williams, is not necessarily memorable but not terrible. Essentially, Williams does what her character needs out of her, but she could have done more to truly make Gemma her own.

Another great performance is that of Ronny Chieng, as his portrayal as the toy company’s executive was cartoonish yet entertaining. Chieng is in complete contrast to Williams, as he gives his character a big stereotypical and goofy executive persona, thus bringing a ton of energy onto the screen. However, the true star of the show is M3GAN, who is portrayed by three talented actors: Amie Donald, Jenna Davis and Kimberley Crossman. From the moment she speaks, M3GAN’s auto-tuned voice makes a big mark — a comedic mark, that is. I honestly cannot stress enough how hilarious this movie is, but what is most impressive is its originality.

As I mentioned in my previous review of “Glass Onion,” the box office is all too often dominated by large franchises with safe and predictable plots; however, “M3GAN” does something incredibly rare, as it combines both horror and comedy to create a wildly entertaining story.

So, was “M3GAN” good? Absolutely. It’s super enjoyable and a blast to watch, but it is far from a masterpiece. While “M3GAN” was an incredibly silly film, I think Johnstone could have gone a step further to make it even more absurd. By the climax of the film, audience members get to see M3GAN at her optimal level of crazy, which are undeniably the best scenes of the entire picture. I think that if more of that absurdity was inserted into the film, then “M3GAN” would have been close to perfect. In short, “M3GAN” is the quintessential movie to see with your friends on a weekend, as I can assure that you will be entertained after watching a robotic doll dance, sing and murder for an hour and a half.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRb4U99OU80

Final score: 7/10