The best poison joke that provides us M3gan It has come from the hands of the Spanish distributor. The fact of releasing this movie about a psycho doll on the eve of Three Kings Day is, without a doubt, a macabre coup d’état. How many dolls and other types of technological toys will have been looked at with suspicion that morning.
M3gan is presented as the umpteenth variation on the pattern of the devilish toy, realigning the formula of contrasting traditionally candid and innocent elements with a terrifying reading. In this case, the transmuting component is not supernatural, but technological, which adds a technophobic element to the plot that reminds us of Terminator (Not a trivial comparison, since there are elements copied from the film) or to that apocryphal Chucky from 2019.
The film inaugurates this agreement between Atomic Monster (the producer of James Wan) y Blumhouse to shape a new universe of horror films, after joint experiences of its creators with the series Insidious o The invisible man. In this sense, the tape has a very Blumhouse scheme. It is a modest budget product, which is not based on the presence of any star, but rather on a concept that can be attractive and curious for the public, in addition to the promise of offering fast-consuming horror entertainment ( we’re not going to find anything high horror around here).
Based on a story by Akela Cooper and James Wan
Based on this, we can affirm that the film does not deceive anyone and offers precisely what it proposes, with a well-equalized level of violence and gore to reach a better audience, both by age groups, and by not hurting viewers’ feelings. more susceptible (there is talk of a much bloodier and more violent alternative montage that may come to light in view of the success of the film).
The film does not pay too much attention to a predictable and formulaic script, which basically serves as a progression (absolutely improbable) so that the leading doll gradually develops her psychopathic personality, in a crescendo of violence that, as the canons indicate, detonates with a disproportionate final climax.
It’s a shame that the film’s lack of ambition neglects other noted aspects of character introduction, which might have made the ensemble more appealing, but might also have diverted viewers’ attention from the monopolizing main plot. We can find glimpses of criticism of the toy industry, of the modernization of toys today, she even goes on tiptoe due to the lack of skills and maternal disinterest of the protagonist. It does not even delve into the other great theme of the film, mourning and the use of surrogate elements to avoid facing pain. As we said, there is no room for heightened terror or reflection here.
M3gan It is a cliché film, designed to please and not to inconvenience. The staging of Gerard Johnstone it is competent and, we would dare to say, above the average for this type of production. The filmmaker complies with expertise in general and, in a couple of moments, manages to elevate a sequence and add a little more intensity to even an image to remember.
Of the leading trio, the interpretations of Allison Williams y Violet McGraw We found them effective, although bland due to the lack of character development. The set of secondary characters does not go beyond stupid profiles that serve as mere cannon fodder. Without a doubt, it is the character of M3gan who wins the show. Accepting the obvious of the trick, fortunately we have to say that we opted for a physical representation of the toy and not a digital one, essential to make the scenes with the girl work, at the same time as the physical work of the dancer Amie Donald under the guise of the doll is the most spectacular of the film.
For the rest, this is a film that will automatically go to our recycling bin and quickly fall into oblivion, at least until the arrival of the already announced sequel that will presumably arrive next year.
Critical entry: M3GAN. Poisoned Gifts was first published on The Entertainment Web in the Fantasy genre.