A Fun Camp Killer Thriller Unlike Any Other

In a million years, you would never have guessed what the opening scene of this movie was. So let’s just say this sets the tone for the rest of the film. You’ve seen killer doll movies before, like Child’s Play, Annabelleand The man. However, I can guarantee that you have never seen anything like it M3GAN, a science fiction horror film that brings the long-standing evil doll trope into the 21st century. We come to a new generation with a hilariously camp killer thriller unlike any other.

This film has a story from James Wan, director of saw and The Countingand Akela Cooper, the writer of Malignant. Wan and Cooper are a dynamic duo and work their magic in this film. The movie follows Gemma (Allison Williams), a roboticist who gains custody of her niece Cady (Violet McGraw), after her parents are lost in a car accident. In over her head and inexperienced with children, Gemma decides to create an artificially intelligent doll named M3GAN, which is intended to be a child’s ultimate companion. M3GAN is friendly and caring, programmed to protect Cady from emotional and physical harm. Everything was fine until, of course, it wasn’t.

You won’t believe your eyes on this. M3GAN is the epitome of the uncanny valley, blurring the line between life and robotics. His design is creepy in a hilarious way. When the marketing puts up a now-viral scene of M3GAN dancing in a hallway before pulling out a paper guillotine to kill someone, that should tell you what this movie is about. While the Child’s Play Movies incorporate camp humor in their films, M3GAN is on another level, giving you a dark intelligence that will make you roar with laughter. This movie is incredible on so many levels, and that’s what makes it so good.

Everyone has seen a movie or a movie about an evil doll that kills people. There are tons of them. This film incorporates AI into the mix, using the genre to explore themes of reliance on technology and how AI cannot replace real human connection. It’s an interesting message to put into what is undoubtedly a slasher comedy for the ages. It’s one of the funniest movies of the decade masquerading as a horror flick — everything M3GAN says and does is terrifying in the funniest way possible.

Indeed, M3GAN knows exactly what kind of movie it is and knows exactly how to entertain. When the film takes itself too seriously, the result is an unintentionally funny disaster that just doesn’t work. But the humor in this movie is deliberate and brilliantly written. It is not easy to determine what makes this film so hysterical. Maybe it’s the fact that everything is played with a straight face and a tongue sticking out of his cheek. But this delightful horror comedy deserves to be seen by many.

Director Gerard Johnstone wonderfully brings this script to life. As the character and dramatic elements become stronger, and the story follows a familiar formula, M3GAN is an instant cult classic. The final act of the film is slasher movie gold, and some offer prime comedy. It’s campy, funny, and out of this world, giving you a playful, highly entertaining time at the movies. M3GAN is already an iconic slasher movie villain, and you love seeing him in action, whether he’s playing, killing, or dancing to death.

SCORE: 8/10

As ComingSoon policy review explains, a score of 8 equals “Great.” While there are some minor issues, this score means that the art succeeds in its purpose and leaves a memorable impact.