M3gan (2023) Review

 "This is the part where you run."
-M3gan



After her parents die in a car accident, Cady (Violet McGraw) goes to live with her aunt, Gemma (Allison Williams), who isn't used to having kids around.  Unsure of how to properly care for Cady, Gemma invents a toy that can.  Meet M3gan (Amie Donald and Jenna Davis): the new hit toy with artificial intelligence whose purpose is to protect Cady, no matter who else gets hurt in the process.


What Works:

I love horror movies, but I usually don't find them scary.  More often than not, I find myself laughing at them even when they're not supposed to be funny.  I found M3gan to be genuinely unsettling because it features so many things I can't stand.  Children, uncanny valley robots, artificial intelligence, and technology in general.  All of these elements combined perfectly to make my skin crawl almost nonstop.  I was throughly uncomfortable and throughly entertained.

The movie is a horror-comedy and it definitely brings the laughs.  Even when violent and horrible things were happening, they were presented in a way that made me laugh.

The opening sequence is absolutely brilliant and shows us a fake toy commercial.  It's some excellent satire and I appreciate the disdain for certain aspects of technology that the filmmakers seem to share with me.  There's some wonderful satire in M3gan, which is an easy way to win me over.

The acting is excellent across the board.  Allison Williams does a great job as our protagonist.  She's very likable, but naive and definitely uncomfortable around kids.  That's something I can certainly relate to.  She's a good person trying to do something kind for her niece, but ends up creating a killer robot.  Was it stupid?  Yes, but she had good intentions and helps us to care about the character.

Violet McGraw is also fantastic as the little girl who lost her parents.  She gets to show off a massive range in this film because she goes through so much.  Watching her tantrum after having M3gan taken away from her was actually the most frightening part of the movie for me.  Nightmares for days...

Finally, the stars of the show are Amie Donald and Jenna Davis, who play M3gan.  Donald played the physical doll, while David did the voice.  Both come together to make M3gan memorable and creepy.  We've all seen the famous dance in the trailer by now, but it isn't just the insane stuff.  Donald's physical acting is spot-on and makes M3gan unsettling.  Davis adds on by giving M3gan far more than just a typical robot voice.  The electronic element is there, but Davis gives the character a ton of personality.  


What Sucks:

I got nothing for you.


Verdict:

2023 is off to a strong start.  I can't remember if I've ever given a January release a 10 out of 10 before.  The acting is fantastic and I love the humor and the satire.  This movie is the perfect blend for me and genuinely creeped me out.  I don't find too many movies that can do that so credit where credit is due.  This movie has absolutely got it going on.

 10/10: Amazing 

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