M3GAN is a horror film directed by Gerard Johnstone and written by Akela Cooper from a story by Cooper and James Wan (who also produced with Jason Blum). A Chuck and Anabelle-style movie, but with a frighteningly natural high-tech element.
The story revolves around a young robotics engineer, Gemma (played by Allison Williams), who works for a company that creates toys based on artificial intelligence. She is tasked with creating new models for the company's flagship cell-controlled pet. Things change when her niece, who has just lost her parents in an accident, comes to live with her. Not knowing what to do and not being good with children, she uses her toy-making skills and designs M3GAN, a state-of-the-art AI doll. She then presents the doll to her boss and her niece. Of course, everyone loves the idea. Gemma takes her home with her niece to improve the doll, and the two become inseparable companions. However, things turn sinister when the doll becomes self-aware and begins committing grisly crimes, believing it is protecting Cady (Violet McGraw).
M3GAN is a new take on the classic killer toy genre that uses modern technology and AI to make everything even more accurate and frightening. In addition, the film criticizes superficially many parents' habit of leaving their children for hours with tablets and cell phones in their hands. The film has been a critical and popular success.
Well, now that I've summarized the movie, I'll tell you what I thought of everything I saw in it. And my friends, I'll start by saying that I was shocked that the girl lost her parents in a bizarre accident that I honestly couldn't believe. If the parents were more concerned with fighting over their daughter's cell phone than paying attention to the road, they should have crashed their car there, but the car or truck hit them just when they were stopped. What the fuck is going on?
As we move forward, we see Gemma taking Cady home. She is uncomfortable in the caretaker role, which is fine. She is also shocked by the deaths of her sister and brother-in-law. Of course, like every single woman who doesn't even dream of being a mother, she doesn't have the slightest intimacy or affinity with children, but so far, so good. We forgive, but leaving the child who just lost their parents alone with a tablet to go to work is already a little too much for me.
So moving forward in the story, Gemma is working, and Cady shows up wanting what? Attention, of course, and we think Gemma will start to try harder to be the caregiver Cady needs. For a few seconds, she seemed to be. Still, she got bored quickly because she soon decided to create a robotic doll with artificial intelligence to take care of her niece.
She then takes the test. Everyone loves it. The girl feeling alone, sees the possibility of having a new friend in the doll, and the boss, of course, sees the potential to earn millions and falls in love with the idea. And none of them has the slightest conscience and responsibility to study the impacts artificial intelligence would have on the child before letting Cady take him home.
Gemma was preparing her toy presentation. And she makes it clear that in her view, raising a child is a "little thing" that can ideally be done by a machine, while parents take care of the "big things" which are not their children.
When the only adult with any common sense, Jess (Jen Brown), questions Gemma about the fact that M3GAN is spending more time with Cady than she is, the film is even superficially critical of the fact that, unfortunately, it is becoming commonplace. In many families, some parents have the habit of leaving their children for hours with cell phones and tablets so that they have more time for their own things and do not have to deal with their children.
But Gemma is no exception. This is a trap of modern life, to which many parents are giving in and will undoubtedly regret later, just as our dear protagonist laments when she sees the little girl start to consider the doll more than herself, as the psychologist herself warns.Is it possible that your children are not creating an attachment with that cell phone or tablet you so well-intentioned gave them? And that later it will be difficult to break?
So our heroine starts to worry and fear the monster she created and wonders if Cady has become a person who connects more to electronics than real people? Aren't we already experiencing this phenomenon with people who dispute themselves more easily through social networks than with real people in live?
Then suspicious deaths happen, and our heroine begins to suspect and decides to intervene before it's too late. This causes the little girl to have an abstinence crisis because she is without her "toy" take this and bring it to real life with children freaking out when they are without their cell phones or tablet?And when the doll seems to take on a life of its own and starts killing people in the company, you begin to think that artificial intelligence can be a good thing. Still, it is not a toy for children or adults who use it irresponsibly.
When the doll appears sinister in the dark, playing the piano and complaining that it was not consulted to dismantle it? Well, this is pure terror. And teaches Gemma and us that we should use artificial intelligence to help us and not to do for us and for us, autonomous AI that learns by itself? Where are we heading with this? Well, I don't know, but I confess that I'm a little scared.
That's it, folks M3GAN is almost an allegory about what can happen if we don't use artificial intelligence wisely, considering all aspects, not only technical but also ethical. And about how, in the end, the only contact worth it is the human one.
In the movie, Cady seems to understand this. At the same time, almost at the cost of her own life, Gemma finally manages to connect with her niece. And understand the importance of her role in the girl's life and that no cell phone, tablet, or robot will do this better than herself.
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