On a more superficial level, I love her flair for the dramatic. She sings in this movie, which I was not expecting. She dances, of course. And she plays the piano in a truly unforgettable scene that is now etched in my memory forever.
JC: Best post-betrayal piano confrontation in a movie since Tom Cruise as Lestat in 1994’s Interview With the Vampire! The singing surprised me, delightfully. We all expected the dancing to be amazing going in, but M3GAN’s rendition of “Titanium” was just as iconic. As for the dance we’ve all been waiting for — flawless, astounding! Whatever Allison Williams coded into M3GAN’s learning protocols clearly taught her that a little theatrical showboating can turn a regular old murder into a moment. I couldn’t stop grinning when she took to all fours to chase a predatory pre-teen to certain demise.
SC: I need to know how that all-fours run was programmed into her. Was it Gemma being silly, or did M3GAN connect with the movement herself? She might seem bloodthirsty like the titular doll in Annabelle, but also, her animalistic behaviors might suggest that she’s just that – a creature, following her instincts. We joked that she’s Cady’s emotional support animal, but really, we’re not wrong!
Also, the entire concept of M3GAN is so taboo and foreign to the masses. Honestly, when Gemma introduces people to her, they react the same way an uncertain Southern mother might react to a person’s same-sex partner. AI and queerness — it’s all unfamiliar and uncanny territory.
SA: There’s definitely a reason that “dolls” is trans slang, that Chucky was created by an out gay filmmaker, and why Barbie is such a popular drag look. These dolls aren’t just icons, they’re avatars for our own feelings of existing in that awkward space between being fully recognized as human and being outright rejected for our otherness. There’s so much symbolism packed into that silicone! But mostly, I’m looking forward to M3GAN becoming a popular look on the drag circuit.
JC: M3GAN valiantly attempts to fit into the culture in which she’s awakened, though her methods are unconventional. “What are you?” a frightened victim asks the sentient robot doll at one point. M3GAN’s trying to figure out the answer to that question herself. She’s not yet particularly concerned with acceptance from the world writ large because she cherishes her position within her own nuclear family to such a degree that she would threaten her creator, Gemma, before sacrificing her charge of Cady. She is pushed to the brink of destruction before finally prioritizing herself as her own “primary user.” It’s hard not to root for her a bit during the final showdown. Just as she’s gaining some self-regard and autonomy, her closest friends want to shut her down permanently. I felt for her in that moment, even as she’s threatening Allison Williams with a hammer. But M3GAN is resourceful and resilient. I’m not sure we’ve seen the last of her yet.
SC: In short: murder is acceptable if gay people like you and/or the people you kill are, like, really, really annoying. Move out of the way, Greta Gerwig’s Barbie. Is M3GAN the real girlboss of 2023?
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