PG-13 | 1h 42m | 1.6.2023
Director: Gerard Johnstone
Genre: Horror/Sci-Fi
Cast: Allison Williams, Violet McGraw, Ronny Chieng, Amie Donals, Jenna Davis
Ryan’s Score: 81/100
Rotten Tomatoes: 78% Audience, 94% Critic (as of 1.30.2023)
Watch the trailer here:
I finally went to see M3GAN and it (mostly) lived up to the hype. When I first saw the trailer, I honestly wasn’t interested. A killer AI robot doll is scary enough for a horror movie, but it seemed cheesy and basic. I wasn’t completely wrong on that front, but what makes it succeed is the fact that the movie knows exactly what it is, and plays into it the whole way through. It’s ridiculous and scary at the same time, especially when you think about the recent advancements in AI technology like ChatGPT.
AI and robotics are two of the most rapidly evolving and transformative technologies of our time. AI has already revolutionized the way we live, work, and interact with each other. With the help of machine learning algorithms and natural language processing, AI has enabled us to automate routine tasks to make our lives more convenient and efficient. Robotics is changing the way we manufacture products and deliver services. These technologies have the potential to dramatically improve our quality of life and solve some of the world's most pressing problems.
I didn’t even write that last paragraph about the future of AI, ChatGPT did. AI can write original articles, grammatically correct emails, software code, and even poetry, although it still lacks a necessary human touch. These advancements make the premise of M3GAN seem not too far-fetched. Sure there are problems AI will likely help solve and ways it may improve our lives. But M3GAN is a prime example of the daunting possibilities of AI advancement.
Cady (Violet McGraw) loses her parents in a tragic accident and must move in with her roboticist aunt Gemma (Allison Williams). Gemma can barely figure out what to feed Cady for breakfast, let alone comfort her through grief. So she designs M3GAN — or “Model 3 Generative Android”— to comfort Cady and protect her both physically and emotionally. Her boss, David (Ronny Chieng), is left salivating at Gemma’s creation, a massive step up from their toy company’s current furby-esque toy on the market. He wants to mass-produce M3GAN as the last toy anyone will ever need to buy.
The movie laughs along with the audience at itself. With cheeky wordplay like, “I am titanium” sung by M3GAN as a creepy lullaby version of the David Guetta and Sia song, it simultaneously terrifies and tickles. At my theatre, which was more packed than most of the recent showings I’ve been to, laughter broke out numerous times. Jenna Davis, who voices M3GAN, does a fantastic job inhabiting the persona of a kids' toy that can turn into the terminator on a dime.
Nothing in the movie is shocking aside from a couple of jump scares. But it’s still able to entertain while warning the audience of AI’s dangerous potential. M3EGAN, like real-life AI models today, is constantly learning. When Gemma tells Cady to use a coaster so as not to ruin her table, M3EGAN instantly pulls information from the internet to explain condensation. Expectedly, she also learns to override her safeguards and defy Gemma’s commands.
The movie is fun, and it makes sense why M3GAN’s dance moves and costumes have gone viral on TikTok. But I see it as more of a future cult classic than a lasting piece of popular culture. The marketing team did a fantastic job creating buzz and brilliantly releasing it in the typically desolate January film landscape.
Recommended Viewing
The team behind Ted Lasso has joined forces with Jason Segel to create another comedy for Apple TV+. As opposed to Ted Lasso — which waits a full season to show us its protagonist’s demons — their new show, Shrinking, kicks off with its main character at rock bottom. Shrinking centers on Jimmy (Segel), a therapist dealing with the grief that comes after suddenly losing his wife. He is struggling to remain a present father and attentive therapist. Jimmy’s daughter Alice (Lukita Maxwell) barely talks to him after being emotionally abandoned and essentially parented by their empty-nested neighbor, Liz (Christa Miller). After listening to his patient’s problems every day, Jimmy begins to experience “compassion fatigue” and decides to try an unconventional new approach; telling his patients exactly what he thinks and what to do.
The first two episodes tugged at my heartstrings similar to Ted Lasso, but with an expectedly darker tone. There’s plenty of comedy, including a fun easter egg for fans of Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008) in the form of a Jason Segel Dracula impression.
Watching Harrison Ford perform comedy on the small screen, and do it incredibly well, is a delight.
I’m looking forward to the rest of the season and may write about it again when the season ends. The first two episodes of Shrinking are streaming on Apple TV+ with new episodes streaming every Friday.