Killer dolls have become an evolving fixture in the horror movie genre. As such, it has to speak to the generations in each of its respective releases. Which makes a film like “M3GAN” so interesting. Not only does it reflect upon the technological advances we have in toys and AI, but it also is somewhat of a commentary on modern-day parenting.
With Megan, there isn’t so much of a killer doll possessed by a demonic soul or the soul of a murderer. We have a domesticated device that was intended to help families that is unable to understand ethics and moralities. It sees the world simply as black and white. It’s also a bit of a cautionary tale that we are not that far off from having our own M3GAN, and we need to rewrite the rules on AI. So by being a multi-layered horror and technological thriller, we can have a much more nuanced story that fully engages its audience but also has fun scaring them.
In “M3GAN” Cady (Violet McGraw) loses her parents in a car accident. She is then sent to live with her aunt Gemma (Allison Williams), a roboticist at the high-tech Seattle toy company Funki. Gemma covertly uses her company’s resources to build M3GAN, an android designed to be the ultimate companion. Though her experiments go haywire, Gemma is determined to complete her project.
And after a series of trial runs, M3GAN turns out to be a huge success and is rushed into production. However, there are a few unforeseen dangers that Gemma did not expect. At the same time, Cady and M3GAN bond, Cady’s therapist sees that she has built an unhealthy emotional attachment to the robot. To make matters worse, M3GAN develops self-awareness and becomes hostile toward anyone who comes between her and her human companion.
“M3GAN” isn’t exactly ahead of its time when it comes to humanity’s obsession with AI as a form of interaction, but it does offer insight into its dangers in a very comedic way. And while this isn’t exactly a technological horror in its purest form, the film does embrace its absurdity to create something that is funny and slightly scary.
Now that the “M3GAN” is out on home entertainment platforms, fans can enjoy this campy thriller over and over again. What’s more, there are three bonus features to look at that gives them a peek at the genesis of the film, the reenvisioning of the killer dolls, and
The first bonus feature, “A New Vision of Horror” talks about how James Wan, a producer, and master of horror movies, pitched “M3GAN) to James Blum. It’s more or less about how the director and writer have changed the way we see horror movies, specifically with killer dolls. And since he’s the master of making killer doll movies, from “SAW” and “Dead Silent” to “Insidious” and “Annabelle,” Wan wanted to do something that was less possessed and more artificial. Thus “M3GAN” was born. So writing the story with Akela Cooper, who eventually went on to write the script, director Gerard Johnstone would be brought on board to direct.
“Bringing M3GAN To Life” details Johnstone’s vision for the titular killer doll. In it, supervising puppeteer Adrien Morot talks about how the director wanted to have an uncanny valley cross between sort of a toy and sort of a real person. The goal was to have as much practical effects as possible so that when M3GAN is brought out, it would emphasize its pristine look while also hiding some of those underlying flaws that would turn a seemingly harmless companion android into a killing machine.
So the bonus feature explores a lot of the challenges that come with puppetry and animatronics, including how many different parts are needed for specific scenes. And it shows the payoffs of their hard work. It’s basically a celebration of the puppet teams – it takes more than one – working together along with the human cast and production design crew.
Finally, “Getting Hacked” takes a behind-the-scenes look at how cast and crew accomplished some of the film’s complex stunts and gory deaths. Of course, that also means getting to see how Amie Donald brought “M3GAN” to life. Though Donald is a new actor, her dance skills allowed her to perform her own stunts and the incredible dance sequence that would later go viral.
“M3GAN’s” home entertainment release also comes with an unrated edition of the film.
“M3GAN” is available now on Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital.
