M3GAN’s Got Nothing On Chucky!
Between Chucky, Annabelle, Lily D, Talky Tina, and Slappy, M3GAN is the latest addition to the doll horror genre — but does she have what it takes to forge her own path?
Led by Allison Williams and Violet McGraw, M3GAN follows a toy inventor who unexpectedly gets custody of her niece after a terrible accident. She enlists the help of M3GAN, a lifelike doll programmed with artificial intelligence, but it ends up resulting in horrific consequences when the doll becomes too self-aware and overprotective. M3GAN goes beyond the classic evil doll story to focus more on technology, AI and how dangerous it can be. Can technology really run a household and serve as a replacement for human interaction? With technological advances like Alexa, a world with M3GAN feels very possible.
The film shines when it showcases M3GAN’s unique features, like how she reactions to Cady’s emotions during an observation or when she brings out her musical chops. It just adds to the campiness and humor. Despite the humorous elements, M3GAN disappoints when it comes to the horror elements. Her kills are boring and happen mostly off screen. In some aspects, you can respect it, while, in others, it seems like they’re not going far enough. There were a lot of side characters that didn’t have a big purpose and they introduced plot points that looked like they might ladder up to something bigger but didn’t. Unfortunately, they gave away a lot of the best moments in the trailer and the film ended rather abruptly.
From the beginning, the trailers for M3GAN turned the robotic doll into a cultural phenomenon with people loving her sass and dance moves. The marketing team doubled down on the success, pitting her against the other iconic horror dolls, namely Chucky, and meme-ifying her. M3GAN and Chucky even had their own Twitter beef, adding to the hype. The Chucky franchise has been going strong for nearly 35 years and continues to surprise and shock viewers with its fresh storytelling and creative kills.
While M3GAN is campy and fun and working to solidify a place in pop culture, the story was forgettable with unoriginal kills. If you’re going to compare one killer doll to another, you might as well just watch Chucky.
M3GAN is playing in theaters.
