A Doll with a Mind of its Own, but in the Age of AI

Violet McGraw and Allison Williams in "M3GAN"
Photo Credit: RottenTomatoes.com

Throughout decades of horror films, creepy dolls have been a standout trope that manages to get under our skin.  Whether it’s Chucky from the “Child’s Play” series, Annabelle from the “Conjuring” franchise, Billy the Puppet from the “Saw” films, or the creepy clown doll from “Poltergeist,” just the mere sight of these objects is enough to give you an abundance of chills.

However, what we have now is the latest iteration of the scary-doll trope, this time utilizing artificial intelligence in director Gerard Johnstone’s sci-fi/horror film, “M3GAN.”  Although it doesn’t take its premise as far as it could have, it’s nevertheless an entertaining way to start your 2023 moviegoing.

After Cady’s (Violet McGraw) parents die in a car accident, she gets sent to live with her Aunt Gemma (Allison Williams), a roboticist for a technologically advanced toy company in Seattle.  Her latest project is an artificially intelligent humanoid doll called M3GAN (Model 3 Generative Android).  When Gemma brings home a prototype of M3GAN with which Cady can interact and feel less alone, all seems fine at first.  However, as time goes on, M3GAN proves to be a dangerous invention.

The chemistry between Williams and McGraw works well to create a relationship that neither character expected to have to build.  There’s the tension between them that shows how unprepared they are to be in a different parent-guardian relationship, showing a disconnect that displays them not being able to accept each other.  However, as Williams and McGraw’s characters begin to find some common ground, their performances deliver some heartfelt chemistry, only to then show palpable strain as Cady becomes more and more attached to M3GAN and Gemma tries to do what’s best for Cady in an increasingly volatile situation.

As for M3GAN, the voice is provided by Jenna Davis, while the physical performance is provided by Amie Donald, along with some digital visual effects.  Between Davis’ creepy, child-like voice and Donald’s unsettling movements that present M3GAN’s disquieting mix of humanistic and android sensibilities, this is a fun, humorous, and unnerving horror villain, with Davis and Donald doing what they can to make this a memorable update of the creepy-doll trope.

The screenplay comes from Alexa Cooper, who wrote last year’s enjoyably bonkers horror film, “Malignant.”  Because of this, it was easy to think that “M3GAN” would follow a similarly insane trajectory.  This story mixes both horror and comedic aspects, but an issue is that the narrative doesn’t take that craziness as far as it could have, making the movie feel rather tame at times.  With the film opening up on a commercial for a Furby-like toy that’s manufactured by the toy company for which Gemma works, the movie goes right into its lampooning of modern consumerism, calling to mind screenwriters Edward Neumeier and Michael Miner’s injection of commercials throughout their script for 1987’s “RoboCop.”  This film has an abundance of satire, but it just needed a more audacious approach to back it all up.

The first half hour of the movie focuses a lot on the relationship between Cady and Gemma as they try to get used to living together, and this gives us time to get to know them well enough until the finished prototype of M3GAN comes into the fold.  By then, we see how the parent-guardian relationship has grown into something supportive between them and shows us how they must navigate the threats that the new AI imposes.

As a director, Johnstone offers plenty of satire, humor, and campiness to combat the tame nature of the rest of the film.  This is a movie that knows what it is through and through, and it isn’t afraid to throw in a bunch of laughs to mix with the suspense of the AI-out-of-control scenario.  He keeps this up for the duration of the movie, maintaining a sense of fun as Cady and Gemma try to outsmart M3GAN, and vice versa. 

There’s already some talk of a sequel, and if that installment isn’t afraid to be a little more daring with M3GAN’s next outing, I’ll look forward to seeing her run amok once again.

Grade: B