We’re not even a full week into 2023 yet, but fans of horror movies already have a new offering to enjoy in just a few days. Blumhouse’s M3GAN hits theaters this weekend, with the movie following a roboticist named Gemma who uses the M3GAN (Model 3 Generative Android) doll she designed to be a child’s companion to look after her recently-orphaned niece Cady, only for things to go horribly wrong. Following the first early reactions for M3GAN dropping last month, reviews for the Blumhouse feature are now trickling in, so what do critics think about it?
Well, as previously indicated by the social media reactions, it looks Blumhouse has another hit on its hands, though it may not necessarily reach exceptional status for some. Starting off, CinemaBlend’s own Eric Eisenberg stamped M3GAN with 3.5 out of 5 stars in his review, saying that the movie is filled with “thrills” and “chuckles,” and “has a white-knuckle grasp on what it is,” but the PG-13 rating does hinder the story a little bit.
M3GAN isn’t entirely the experience you want it to be, but its best qualities outweigh its faults in reflection. It’s a well-made, fun, and freaky experience, and a solid opening act for the horror movies to come in 2023.
Next up, Kristy Puchuko from Mashable heaped a lot of praise onto M3GAN, calling the robotic antagonist the next queer horror icon, akin to the Babadook (though let’s not forget she’s already a popular meme), as well as commended the movie for its exploration of grown-up fears.
... M3GAN is a winner not only for presenting an exciting new slasher to the queer horror subgenre, but also for tapping into deep-seated fears that hook us even before she makes an appearance.
Empire’s Al Horner awarded M3GAN a 4 out of 5 score, commending both Allison Williams and Violet McGraw for their respective performances as Gemma and Cady, as well the work that went into bringing M3GAN to life, who was physically played by Amie Donald and voiced by Jenna Davis.
With impressive performances by McGraw and Get Out star Williams, and seamless technology bringing to life the film’s robot havoc-wreaker, M3GAN may be silly but it’s a toy story like no other.
Matt Donato from IGN gave M3GAN a 7 out of 10 score, declaring that the 2019 remake of Child’s Play, which featured an AI version of Chucky, “walked” so that M3GAN could “TikTok dance.” Donato pointed out that the movie doesn’t do the best job of balancing its horror and comedy tones, but the overall product is still worth watching.
M3GAN capably proves herself more than a horror villain meme, although the film does sometimes struggle to balance the horror and comedy.
Finally, Indiewire’s Kate Erbland graded M3GAN with a B+, saying that the tile character is a blast to watch, and while the story beats “might feel predictable,” the movie is ultimately a “triumph.”
Its creators are so clearly on the same insane wavelength, nimbly blending camp and social satire and actual terror, that “M3GAN” is poised to crack the murder-doll pantheon and stay there forever. Oscars!
We’ll have to wait and see how M3GAN performs at the box office in the coming weeks, but if all this positive press leads to it raking in heaps of money, then perhaps Blumhouse and producer James Wan will consider making a M3GAN sequel. The movie’s cast also includes Ronny Chieng, Brian Jordan Alvarez, Jen Van Epps, Stephanie Garneau-Monten, Arlo Green and Lori Dungey. Behind the scenes, Gerard Johnstone directed and Malignant’s Akela Cooper wrote the script.
You’ll be able to judge M3GAN for yourself starting Friday, January 6. Once you’ve done that, head to our 2023 release schedule to figure out what movie you’ll see in theaters next.
