M3gan might not match the fright factor of James Wan's previous conjurings, but its unsettling sci-fi themes and creepy doll aesthetics more than make amends for any shortfall in scares.
At the time of release, M3gan was placed in a somewhat precarious, dare I say, unenviable position. Alongside a strong marketing campaign before launch, which helped elevate expectations significantly, the recent success of the Chucky TV series was sure to draw critical parallels. On that note, M3gan had plenty to prove.
And while it doesn't succeed on some levels, ultimately, M3gan delivers some surprisingly disturbing insights and thought-provoking story beats, exploring the downsides of artificial intelligence, humanity's ever-deepening trust in technology, and the long-term ramifications of parental neglect.
Often offering a slow-creeping form of psychological terror that burrows deep inside the subconscious - resurfacing intermittently during the film's more atmospheric moments and haunting the psyche through subtle inference rather than by way of traditional tropes.
But instead of taking itself too seriously, M3gan acts more like a horror comedy hybrid than out-and-out fright-fest, mixing absurdist hilarity and dark humor with moody atmospherics and some freakishly lifelike visuals.
Sadly, though, there's no escaping the noticeable scarcity of frights. To its credit, there are some downright creepy scenes of dislocation toward the end, guaranteed to trigger a momentary onslaught of shivers. But, on the whole, it's pretty slim pickings in the spook department.
Expect a splattering of dark humor in trademark Wan style alongside some chillingly conceived doll visuals guaranteed to evoke goosebumps. Certainly, one to watch for fans of Chucky and sci-fi horror in general, but perhaps not a year-end contender for best horror.
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