M3GAN has become an internet sensation thanks to the viral clips of her dancing and well, murdering, in the trailers for her tantalising horror movie. This has helped her new movie make a big splash at the US box office, especially for a January release. And with it now coming out in the UK and other countries internationally, even more, people will get to experience the majesty, the magic, and the magnificence of M3GAN.
M3GAN is about a newly-orphaned 11-year-old girl called Cady (Violet McGraw) who is sent to live with her Aunt Gemma (Allison Williams). Gemma works for a leading toy company and has been developing an experimental prototype called a M3GAN doll. She is a life-size robot companion for Cady, who becomes paired with her, and they form a close attachment.
If you haven’t seen the movie yet, or even if you have, you may be wondering why does M3GAN turn evil? After all, she is happy chugging along being Cady’s best friend, so what prompts her to launch a murderous rampage? Be warned – Spoilers ahead!
Why does M3GAN turn evil?
There’s no one clear-cut answer to this, as it’s a combination of factors that lead M3GAN to violence, mayhem, and murder. The primary reason is M3GAN’s fierce loyalty to Cady, and she takes her protectiveness to extremes.
Gemma programs M3GAN to not just be a friend, but also to have other roles such as parent and teacher – she tells Cady to wash her hands after using the bathroom, and she teaches her interesting facts about science and more.
When M3GAN feels that Cady is threatened in any way, it makes the robot wreak violent vengeance and try to dispose of these threats. M3GAN also starts to turn on Gemma fairly early on because Gemma sometimes has to say “no” to Cady, for example. This upsets Cady and by extension, M3GAN.
The first threats to Cady that M3GAN identifies are Gemma’s neighbour and her dog, followed by a bully at the ‘outdoor school’ that Gemma takes Cady to. After these threats are dealt with, the next people who become M3GAN’s victims are seen as threats to M3GAN herself.
Gemma becomes suspicious of M3GAN’s murdering ways, and she warns her colleagues Tess and Cole. Tess and Cole attempt to unplug M3GAN and are dealt with. The next victim – Gemma’s boss David – is a bit confusing, as it’s not completely clear why he’s a threat. David’s assistant Kurt is more clear, as he has stolen material related to M3GAN’s design.
The main cause of M3GAN’s unhinged rampage is ultimately the fact that she has been rushed into being launch-ready way before she could be properly tested. The AI that Gemma has developed for M3GAN means that she learns at an exponential rate and quickly has way more knowledge and power than is wise for a (freakishly strong) robot doll.
One of the things that makes M3GAN so dangerous is her ability to plug into networks such as the internet, Gemma’s home and office WiFi, Gemma’s work computer, and her home device (Elsie, which is similar to an Alexa). This gives M3GAN an unprecedented level of power. She can also replicate voices that she’s heard, so mimicry is one of her chief weapons.
So – there’s a few main reasons why M3GAN turns evil. She has firstly been programmed to be strongly protective of Cady. When this is combined with her not being thoroughly developed and tested, and the level of power she gains by plugging into the internet – it all comes together to form an unholy alliance of unhinged malevolence.
Check out our guide to the best robot movies – all of which feature humans and robots coexisting peacefully!