M3GAN
Stream
Rent & Buy
A brilliant toy company roboticist uses artificial intelligence to develop M3GAN, a life-like doll programmed to emotionally bond with her newly orphaned niece. But when the doll's programming works too well, she becomes overprotective of her new friend with terrifying results.
What critics thought
Critics were broadly enthusiastic about M3GAN as a horror-comedy, celebrating its campy self-awareness, the physical and vocal performances behind the titular doll, and its satirical jabs at tech-mediated parenting. The main fault line was between those who found the horror elements genuinely effective and those who felt the PG-13 restraint and telegraphed narrative left the scares toothless — though even skeptics tended to admit the comedy carried the film anyway.
“shocks and scares and even the cautionary notes are not lessened by the enjoyable vein of campy humor”
David Rooney·The Hollywood Reporter
“if the film is rarely very frightening (the kill scenes [...] lack both suspense and true holy-shit grisliness), it often works like gangbusters as an over-the-top horror comedy whose fun rests on a toy box full of priceless leering-doll reaction shots and cutting remarks”
A.A. Dowd·Chron.com
“Save for a few jump scares, there's an overt restraint with the horror. The PG-13 rating also dampens what kills we do get. Those looking for the unexpected likely won't find it here, though that doesn't make it any less fun.”
Meagan Navarro·Bloody Disgusting
“it stocks up on jump scares and keeps the violence PG-13, but fails to make us care about any of the humans in the path of M3GAN”
Randy Myers·The Mercury News
“Under the canny, high-spirited direction of Gerard Johnstone, [...] it's incisive, sardonic, and totally mean-spirited. A perfect mix.”
Clarisse Loughrey·The Independent
Parents guide
- Violence
- moderate
- Sex
- none
- Profanity
- moderate
- Substances
- none
- Intensity
- moderate
Genres
Horror, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Cast & Crew
Gerard JohnstoneDirector
Allison WilliamsGemma
Violet McGrawCady
Amie DonaldM3gan
Jenna DavisM3gan (voice)
Ronny ChiengDavid
Brian Jordan AlvarezCole
Jen Van EppsTess
Stephane Garneau-MontenKurt
Lori DungeyCelia
Amy UsherwoodLydia
Jack CassidyBrandon
Michael SaccenteGreg
Anthony B. WillisComposer
James WanWriter
Akela CooperWriter
Peter McCaffreyCinematographyFrom the studio
M3GAN
A brilliant toy company roboticist uses artificial intelligence to develop M3GAN, a life-like doll programmed to emotionally bond with her newly orphaned niece. But when the doll's programming works too well, she becomes overprotective of her new friend with terrifying results.
What critics thought
Critics were broadly enthusiastic about M3GAN as a horror-comedy, celebrating its campy self-awareness, the physical and vocal performances behind the titular doll, and its satirical jabs at tech-mediated parenting. The main fault line was between those who found the horror elements genuinely effective and those who felt the PG-13 restraint and telegraphed narrative left the scares toothless — though even skeptics tended to admit the comedy carried the film anyway.
“shocks and scares and even the cautionary notes are not lessened by the enjoyable vein of campy humor”
David Rooney·The Hollywood Reporter
“if the film is rarely very frightening (the kill scenes [...] lack both suspense and true holy-shit grisliness), it often works like gangbusters as an over-the-top horror comedy whose fun rests on a toy box full of priceless leering-doll reaction shots and cutting remarks”
A.A. Dowd·Chron.com
“Save for a few jump scares, there's an overt restraint with the horror. The PG-13 rating also dampens what kills we do get. Those looking for the unexpected likely won't find it here, though that doesn't make it any less fun.”
Meagan Navarro·Bloody Disgusting
“it stocks up on jump scares and keeps the violence PG-13, but fails to make us care about any of the humans in the path of M3GAN”
Randy Myers·The Mercury News
“Under the canny, high-spirited direction of Gerard Johnstone, [...] it's incisive, sardonic, and totally mean-spirited. A perfect mix.”
Clarisse Loughrey·The Independent
Parents guide
- Violence
- moderate
- Sex
- none
- Profanity
- moderate
- Substances
- none
- Intensity
- moderate
Genres
Horror, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Cast & Crew
Gerard JohnstoneDirectorAllison WilliamsGemmaViolet McGrawCadyAmie DonaldM3ganJenna DavisM3gan (voice)Ronny ChiengDavidBrian Jordan AlvarezColeJen Van EppsTessStephane Garneau-MontenKurtLori DungeyCeliaAmy UsherwoodLydiaJack CassidyBrandonMichael SaccenteGregAnthony B. WillisComposerJames WanWriterAkela CooperWriterPeter McCaffreyCinematographyFrom the studio
Stream
Rent & Buy