In theory, M3GAN should have been a great film. A widely marketed, piercingly relevant sci-fi horror that draws on current fears over the incursion of AI into daily life, in the form of a creepy-cute killer doll who goes by the moniker Megan. And, based on recent stats that the film has so far brought in over $150 million worldwide at the box office, and has managed to secure a glowing rating of 94% on Rotten Tomatoes, it’s clear that it’s garnered quite the reputation. So why did I find it so lacklustre?
Don’t get me wrong—the first half of M3GAN was enjoyable, at times funny, and had a great premise. Cady, a young girl orphaned following a horrific car accident, is sent to live with her tech-savvy, not particularly maternal Aunt Gemma. Aiming to give Cady an outlet for her grief that doesn’t require actually talking to her for long, Gemma gifts Cady her latest invention, a prototype for a robo-doll called M3GAN. Questions regarding the level of sentience the robot will actually be able to achieve are not asked, and M3GAN is underestimated. Obviously, chaos ensues. The film does well in its eerie build-up of Megan’s sinister character, as well as in showcasing Cady’s increasing dependence on her robot friend. A Guardian review called it a demonstration of “tech itself as sinister child-pacification”, drawing parallels to our current era of iPad-kids and phone-dependent selves. This, combined with scenes which flit between affection, violence, and rising tension build the film up well.
However, M3GAN falls short is in its second half; the action becomes slightly ridiculous, the script clichéd, and the final scenes too predictable. At this point, the main thing in favour of M3GAN is how comical it becomes. Honestly, I can admit that my expectations for the film were probably too high. A so-called horror based on AI-gone-wrong had me dreaming of Ex Machina, and the added feature of it being a seemingly sweet, secretly sinister young girl/doll who is capable of much more than it first seems reminded me of Orphan and The Conjuring. All in all, I expected more than I got. This said, perhaps I’m being unfair in not assessing the film for what it is; a funny, mostly-entertaining campy thriller. On these grounds, it does the job.
Another issue that I had with M3GAN was in its disregard for even a trace of logic. With films that root themselves so obviously in a world which resembles our own, posing as the present or near-future in regards to their tech, settings, and concerns, it’s crucial that they sustain some level of logic to keep up the idea that whatever it is they portray could happen in our very own reality—that’s where the hook is, after all. Artificial Intelligence gaining sentience and eventually harming humanity is a big concern of our current world, as science continually develops to increase the powers of technology. This is the crux of M3GAN: a machine designed to aid children in their learning and daily lives goes wrong when it becomes too capable, and, in a very literal metaphor, goes on a killing spree. And yet, in spite of how rooted in reality the film seems to be, the characters continually overlook the simplest of questions: should a child spend all of her twenty-four hours each day with a robot so intelligent it’s impossible to know how sentient it could become? How do we stop M3GAN if she starts choosing to ignore our commands? The lack of attention paid to the simplest of questions throws the whole premise of the film into question, and makes becoming immersed in it as a viewer a very difficult task.So, if you’re willing to accept it for what it is, a slightly silly comedy-horror, you’ll probably enjoy M3GAN. Personally, I found it a little underwhelming, but this is in part largely due to my high expectations having seen the ratings it was getting. Would I pay to see it? No. Would I watch it as part of a movie and popcorn night with friends? Why not.
Image “Doll Dress” by M.P.N.texan is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0.