Film Review: M3GAN

Welcome back to the blog. I just came out of the theater where I saw the new "horror" film M3GAN, and I wanted to share my spoiler-free thoughts.

If I'm being honest, I wasn't all that interested in this film. I saw some coming attractions and they weren't really getting to me. However, I saw the initial word of mouth and it was highly positive. Then, the reviews came out and critics and audiences alike were commenting very positively on it. So, I knew then I had to see this. My mother is also a horror fanatic, and she was very interested as well. So, we went, me without a lot of expectations, and I walked out with some thoughts.

I would have to say that I haven't had this much fun with a film in a long time. It is an awesome watch. (By the way, I put horror in quotes because it's not really a horror film. I'd consider it more of a thriller.) Once I found out the budget was $12 million, I was skeptical. After seeing the film, I can definitely see it. This isn't meant to be taken seriously, and if you go in thinking that, then you're going to be set up for disappointment. The charm of the film is that it's not supposed to be serious.

The characters are intriguing as hell. I very much enjoyed the performances of Allison Williams and Violet McGraw (her sister Madeline was the little girl in The Black Phone!). The relationship that these two endure is one of the most heartwarming things I've seen. The two actors that play the titular doll, Amie Donald and Jenna Davis, knocked it out of the park. One scene in particular made me laugh harder than I have in a long time. (If you've seen it, you know what I'm talking about.)

I was serious when I said M3GAN wasn't a horror film. There are some jump scares, but the main course is a lot of shock value. One scene in particular made my jaw drop. I didn't expect it to be as dark as it was, despite how many times I laughed. Also, I did appreciate how well the score played with the film. I loved the throwback feel of it.

To conclude my thoughts, I had a hell of a lot of fun with this film. A slick familial drama intertwined with horror-themed elements make for a great film that I truly loved.