Recxpectations: M3GAN

As a fan of variations on a theme, M3GAN is a perfect example of a film that I”d love to see remade by various filmmakers. Take 3 great horror directors and 3 great comedic minds and have them each make their version of the film. Because this is a film that offers a lot of different directions it can go and the film that was delivered kind of doesn’t choose any of them.

EXPECT: a first draft. Oh, what might have been. This film is a fun film but every moment could have been elevated, every character and arc could have been more developed, countless opportunities were squandered. My focus after the film was not on what I just watched but on what could have been. There’s a great picture to be made here but all we got was a sketch.

DON’T EXPECT: a horror film or an over-the-top comedy. I feel like most people will leave the theater wishing the filmmakers had fully committed to a direction. Really go for some scares or just say screw it and sell out for laughs. Instead, it feels like Blumhouse was trying to ride the line, kind of like it did with Happy Death Day but there’s not enough story in this to carry it.

EXPECT: a PG-13 film that was intended to be R. I’m not a fan of gore and I think the more “artistic” approach to some moments was better than just letting us watch the horror on-screen but you could definitely feel that they pulled some of their punches. And again, it feels like they just quickly/cheaply reshot some moments to get the rating down and didn’t invest enough time coming up with more creative options.
NOTE: My theater had a lot of young kids in it and I definitely don’t think that kids under 12 or 13 should be watching this film. The kids were also talking A LOT because I’m sure they were confused why the audience was laughing at moments that they thought were being presented as spooky.

EXPECT: a stupid movie. This probably should go without saying but M3GAN is goofy and dumb. This is where expectations play a huge role. Everyone will walk out saying, “That movie is STOOOOOOOPID!” Whether you’re laughing when you say it or upset about it is up to you.

EXPECT: a competently made B-Movie. Nothing in this movie stands out. The direction and cinematography are average. The acting is what it is. But all of it is competent enough that the film lacks the charm of the b-movies of old and their shoddy production. One could easily imagine this film being made in the 80s and being completely hokey; the kind of movie that is on a bar TV with no sound yet you’re still glued to it because of how bonkers it looks.

At the end of the day, I found M3GAN to be a fun but forgettable movie that, at the very least, makes for some fun post-film conversation, talking about all of places it could have gone.