M3GAN – Budget of $12 million – 1 hour and 42 minutes

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Gemma created the latest toy craze, PurrPetual Pets. But her boss, David, wants her to make a new model at a lower price. Instead of working on the updated Pet, Gemma and her team, Tess and Cole, keep working on the Model 3 Generative Android, M3gan, for short. David comes to Gemma’s lab with their competitor’s commercial. They created something like the PurrPetual Pets but much cheaper. He sees M3gan and wants to know more about her. Gemma tries a simple demo, but the doll’s face melts. David leaves the room enraged and demands Gemma scrap M3gan and begin working on a cheaper Pet. Then Gemma gets a phone call from the hospital in Oregon. Her sister, Ava, and brother-in-law, Ryan, died in a car accident, but their daughter, Cady, survived.

Gemma moves Cady into her home but doesn’t have toys, books, or a dedicated space for Cady. She hears Cady cry at night and wishes she could do something to help. Cady comes into Gemma’s workshop and shows Gemma her drawings. So, Gemma shows Cady a robot she made in college, Bruce. It’s a motion caption robot using gloves to interact. Cady comments that it’s a cool toy and the only one she would ever need. Gemma, Tess, and Cole work overtime to fix M3gan.

They invite David to a private meeting and have him watch M3gan interact with Cady. Gemma instructs Cady on pairing with M3gan, and they bond over a drawing. Gemma predicts that this doll can read to a child, play with a child, and remodel a child’s behavior. M3gan can work with your child, so the parent can focus on what matters. David loves M3gan and wants to present it to the board immediately. Gemma thinks the bond will help Cady recover after losing her parents, allow her to work, and put her company at number one. But Tess worries that M3gan is doing too much of the parenting. Gemma doesn’t care. She wants Cady to be happy, the same as M3gan. Only M3gan will kill for it because Gemma forgot rule number one of toy designing: parental controls.

While Chucky starts creepy, M3gan is a lifesize Barbie on steroids (FTC Affiliate Disclaimer). It only takes a dog attack for M3gan’s primary directive to morph into something demented. In true Blumhouse fashion, this script is funny, scary, and twisted. It provides plenty of jump scares without being a horror movie. This movie feels more like a thriller than a horror film. And it sets itself apart from other AI and doll movies because it discusses attachment theory. Cady becomes frighteningly dependent on M3gan and physically attacks Gemma when she can’t have M3gan. The thought of throwing M3gan away sends Cady into a state of panic. While we are nowhere near this level of AI, Cady’s misplaced attachment is the real threat in society today. Audiences will cringe, laugh, and OMG as M3gan takes over. This film is definitely worth a watch and discussion.

I give it 4 out of 5 stars

You ungrateful little b***h – M3GAN

Hold the door – David

You made her really good, Aunt Gemma – Cady

She is not my child – Gemma

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Blu-rayTM
Digital