Film Review - M3GAN
Images courtesy of Universal Pictures Australia.
Killer dolls, toys, robots, and rogue AI are not exactly new concepts in horror. Even though many would point to Child's Play (1988) as the tipping point for the subgenre, just a year prior was Stuart Gordon's Dolls, and over a decade prior, the Zuni doll segment in Trilogy of Terror. Likewise, the success of the original Terminator may have birthed VHS classics like Screamers and Death Machine, but strands of its DNA can be traced far further back than the moving picture, all the way to ancient Greek mythology. In a subgenre mined for scrap metal, is there any fresh ground left? Blumhouse's surprise smash hit M3GAN might just turn you into a believer.
From director Gerard Johnstone (whose previous credit is Housebound, one of my favourite horror-comedies), and writer duo James Wan and Akela Cooper (who previously penned another personal favourite, the masterpiece that is Wan's Malignant), comes a film acutely aware of the exact brand of trash that modern horror audiences crave. After a decade of Bride of Chucky profile pictures, the reappraisal of films like Jennifer's Body, and the more recent moderate success of Orphan: First Kill (review for that one here), the yassification of the horror genre is officially in full swing, and M3GAN feels like it couldn't have arrived at a better time - even if that just so happens to be during the January dump month.
Say it with me: M3GAN is hip. M3GAN is happening. M3GAN is the moment.
Following a fun, tone-setting advertisement for a fluffy toy pet that also has the ability to defecate and pass gas, we're introduced to the soon-to-be orphaned Cady and her aunt Gemma, a roboticist working for the aforementioned toy company. Though the first act takes a little time finding its footing, once the titular girlboss bot enters the picture, its potential for ridiculousness becomes realised. Balancing far more on the overtly comedic side thanks to its Verhoeven-esque satirical streak (peppered with a few stylistic odes to Raimi), M3GAN is a farcical ride that pushes just how mean a PG-13 rated film can be (two scenes stand out in particular, one involving a teenage boy and one involving a nail gun). It comes as little surprise that the body count in the script was originally higher, and one can hope we might see an uncut version at some point, if not an even more unhinged sequel - perhaps with Wan taking the driver’s seat now that he appears to have comfortably moved on from the Conjuring franchise.
M3GAN may not be the most original film around, yet it proves that execution is everything. It’s the rare horror-comedy that proves being self-aware doesn’t require reminding audiences they’re watching a film every 15 minutes, nor does it mean slicing apart well-established tropes with snarky wit. Instead, by blending familiar horror elements with a good, hearty dose of camp (and a surprisingly well-integrated allegory for iPad parenting that doesn't come at the expense of the fun), it feels like one of the rare films that earns its meme status, also cementing its spot as a new potential horror classic.
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M3GAN is screening in cinemas from Thursday 12th January. For tickets and more info, click here.