I spy with my little eye something evil.
I spy with my little eye something creepy.
I spy with my little eye something funny.
Congrats, you guessed right: a new Horror Comedy* movie! 🖤
M3GAN (also stylized as MΞGAN and pronounced Megan) is an American science fiction horror film directed by Gerard Johnstone from a screenplay by Akela Cooper and a story by Cooper and James Wan (YES, the one and only James Wan, creator of the whole Conjuring universe! Can you feel the excitement yet?)
* please note that it’s not supposed to be seen as a horror comedy movie, but it was so funny and over-the-top… They definitively had fun writing and filming this!
But First, A Bit Of Context
As you maybe already know, I write horror fiction. That’s my thing. I enjoy horror movies, horror novels, horror everything.
When I heard of a movie about an orphaned little girl (!), befriending an evil robot-doll (!!), based on a story by James Wan (!!!), it made my blood boil.
It’s like the magic formula to make me happy!
Of course I had to go and watch this movie on the release day!
About M3GAN
M3GAN, short for Model 3 Generative ANdroid, is an artificial intelligence (A.I.) “programmed to be a child’s greatest companion and a parent’s greatest ally“, and on paper, they nailed it, because Cady, who just lost her parents in a car accident, is all M3GAN cares about.
If science fiction books and movies dedicated to robots and A.I. have taught us anything, is that it will go wrong. The question is when.
So, when does M3GAN get her wires crossed?
Well, that’s the thing about A.I.: there is a learning process.
And for that part, it was really well thought of, because M3GAN learns.
Every interaction she has with little Cady, how she takes care of her education, when she saves Cady from a vicious attack by the neighbor’s dog while auntie Gemma is glued to her computer with her headphones on (!), even the way she manages to console a grieving 9-year old, M3GAN learns how to care, love, and protect the girl and soon realizes a hard truth: without her, Cady has no one.
The concept behind M3GAN from Gemma’s perspective reminded me a little bit of this viral video which shows a cat preventing a toddler from falling off of a balcony while Daddy Dear is lying on his sofa, filming the whole scene.
And you can actually see the cat glancing at him at the very beginning, with an expression of deep incomprehension on his face.
I don’t have the words.
When I think I can’t lose more faith in humanity, bam! Another YouTube video takes me one step even further.
Thankfully, my love and respect for animals only grow.
The Character Of Gemma: A 101 Bad Parenting Crash Course
In that sense, Gemma actually reminded me of this specific type of parents who strongly believes it’s written in the teacher’s job description to teach decency and good manners to their kids.
Well, tell you what: nope, it’s not.
It’s your job as a parent.
And if your kids are unable to say “hello”, “thank you”, and “good bye” when they reach puberty, it’s on you, and on you only.
Period!
The movie received great reviews so far, and I agree with most of them.
William Bibiani wrote for The Wrap: “the worst critique one can reasonably lob at “M3GAN” is that Gemma — who is supposed to be self-absorbed, not inhuman — never seems to mourn for her own sister. She’s too busy trying to make deadlines, and the movie is far too focused on Cady’s emotions to delve too far into Gemma’s own psychology, leaving the character feeling just a little incomplete.”
To be honest, even if I agree completely with Bibiani’s statement, I also wonder if it might be a director’s choice to show Gemma like Cady would see her: this amazing woman who builds super cool toys but is never fully there either.
I mean, what kid wouldn’t looooove cool Auntie Gemma, who’s super pretty and smart, with her amazing toys and Tinder date night’s playlist.
(Yes. That part is also in the movie. Pure magic.)
Easy to seem awesome when you’re not around, right?
And now that Cady has to live with somebody she actually doesn’t know, and since the movie focuses on slaying bad parenting (Mom and Dad strict screen time vs Gemma’s “I don’t care, watch TV as much as you want so you don’t bother me”), maybe Cady sees her for who she really is: someone who should have never had kids in the first place.
Maybe in real life, a person like Gemma would grow and turn into an amazing parent, but clearly the movie doesn’t show that part!
And for those who think that maybe, it wasn’t her choice, maybe, she did the right thing, blabla… Let me help you clear your conscience: Cady’s grandparents in fact offered to take the child with them, in Florida.
Gemma refused to let go.
Gemma chose to be in that situation.
Gemma chose to be a bad parent.
Man, I despise this character…
… which praises Allison Williams’ acting skills, who I discovered (and adored) in The Perfection, a 2018 American psychological horror thriller film directed by Richard Shepard in which she plays a cellist.
Yes, some might say that she’ll defend Cady in the end, at the risk of her own life; Well, it’s a robot you built, attacking your dead sister’s only child.
Wouldn’t you?!
It’s not about parenting anymore at this point.
It’s just being a grown up, and taking responsibility for one’s actions.
Wait. Bad Parenting, A Little Girl, A Murderous Doll… Sounds Familiar.
It sure does, because it’s everything I love and hate as the same time, and I needed that magic potion in my first novel, Porcelaine.
Porcelaine in the ultimate answer to the question “What would violence and absence do on a child’s already fragile psyche?” and to be honest, it’s not pretty.
Not pretty, but definitely epic.
Sarah might be a child, but she knows how to put on a show!
I’m a dancer, you know, so… everything comes down to one word: choreography.
And no, don’t worry, it’s not gore! I like my murders violent, memorable, and artistic.
And I must admit, the murders were beautifully choreographed in M3GAN, I will definitely take notes for my next novel!
A Look At M3GAN Official Trailer
In the end, it was a fun date with my husband, we both enjoyed the movie, and I recommend M3GAN to anyone who’s up for a good laugh!
Looking forward to reading you,
Credits:
Cover picture by Universal Pictures
