Review: How “M3GAN” Fell Short

A look into the trending horror film that features a murderous and constantly singing doll.

M3GAN poster

Universal Studios

“M3GAN” poster

by Olivia Miller, Reporter, Editor-in-Chief

“M3GAN”, a newly released science fiction horror film, follows the story of a recently orphaned girl named Cady, who moves in with her tech-savvy aunt, and the chaos that ensues when she befriends an artificially intelligent life-size doll whose purpose is to keep Cady out of harm’s way. 

First being teased at the 2022 CinemaCon, “M3GAN” immediately garnered widespread attention for its humorous portrayal of the antagonist, with clips of M3GAN dancing in the trailer going viral on social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram. 

After being released on January 6, 2023, the film made an impressive $146 million at the box office, with the movie’s budget only being $12 million. “M3GAN” also scored an admirable 94% on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics praising the film for its self-deprecating humor and satirical commentary on society’s growing addiction to technology. 

A Look at the Short Career of the Director of “M3GAN”

Born and raised in New Zealand, director and screenwriter Gerard Johnstone had managed to stay out of the headlines until the release of his directorial debut, “Housebound.” A 2014 horror comedy following a woman sentenced to house arrest in a haunted house, the film toes the line between humor and cringe just as “M3GAN” does. However, the producer of “M3GAN”, James Wan, felt as though Johnstone successfully balanced the horror and comedy elements of “Housebound”, leading to Johnstone being chosen as the director of “M3GAN”.

The movie featured Violet McGraw, who played Cady, and Allison Williams, who played Cady’s aunt, Gemma. Both actresses have starred in other successful horror pictures, with McGraw appearing in the tragic and frightening Netflix series “The Haunting of Hill House” and Williams shining in the masterful and thought-provoking film “Get Out.”

However, despite everything this movie had going for it, it fell short in almost every possible way. 

First off, the plot was extremely predictable, with every twist and turn having already been revealed in the previously released trailer. Spoiler warning, M3GAN becomes too smart for her own good and begins to off anyone she deems a threat to Cady. Additionally, the storyline of an orphan with a gruesome past arriving somewhere new and strange where even more gruesome things occur is far too overused. 

Furthermore, this film was not even slightly scary. As someone who has grown up with an irrational fear of evil dolls thanks to R.L. Stine’s “ The Haunting Hour,” I expected to at least be disturbed by the idea of a murderous A.I. doll in an ugly dress suit, but instead was disappointed with a frequently (and badly) singing plaything that bared a striking resemblance to Renesmee from the “Twilight” movie series. 

Overall, while this movie was admittedly extremely funny at times, the predictable plot and cringe singing made this a movie I plan to never watch again. However, if you are looking for a quick laugh and enjoy the idea of a blonde robot signing “Titanium” twice, this movie is the one for you.