M3GAN Reached Iconic Status With These Disturbing And Hilarious Scenes
M3GAN is everywhere. She's made several high-profile appearances, including during an L.A. Chargers football game. She's also popped up on "The Today Show," the NYC subway, and other hot spots around the country. M3GAN is unstoppable, and she is the moment. So it's not surprising she's managed to scare up $45 million at the worldwide box office in her eponymous movie's opening weekend. Not too shabby for a four-foot robot doll wrapped in silicone.
Directed by Gerard Johnstone, "M3GAN" walks the line between hilarious and disturbing. Roboticist Gemma (Allison Williams) designs the Model 3 Generative Android (M3GAN for short) and gifts the robot doll to her niece, Cady (Violet McGraw), who is still recovering from a devastating car crash that killed her parents. M3GAN not only becomes her bestie but a part of the family. Naturally, things go off the rails as M3GAN takes her operative function to protect Cady to the extreme and starts killing those who cross her. But M3GAN is more than just a villain. She's an icon. She sports a runway-ready outfit, knows a thing or two about striking a pose, and is always ready to bust a move.
M3GAN is barely into its second weekend, and a sequel is already in the works. Fortunately, we're bound to get even more iconic dance routines and fashion looks. For now, here are the M3GAN moments that solidify her as the icon of the year.
She's titanium
You've never heard "Titanium" quite like this. Gone are the pulsating synths and vocal distortion, and in their place are the barebones of a touching ballad. Late one night, M3GAN tucks Cady into bed and reassures her that things will get better. Instead of reading her a bedtime story, M3GAN launches into a lullaby version of the 2011 smash by David Guetta featuring Sia. Her voice flutters over the unmistakable melody. As it turns out, M3GAN's quite a little songbird. "I'm bulletproof, nothing to lose," she sings, "fire away, fire away."
"You shoot me down, but I won't fall. I am titanium," she continues. Her voice is somehow angelic, comforting her primary user. It's also extremely unsettling. Voiced by Jenna Davis, M3GAN has a way of eerily tapping into authentic humanity in a way that signals what she's capable of. Such a display of affection could replace actual human connection, and society may never be able to turn back. Of course, that doesn't make this musical moment any less iconic. And considering M3GAN is made of titanium, it fits.
Into the woods
Cady is used to being homeschooled. As Cady gets settled in with Gemma, she's taught by M3GAn and is already in fourth-grade math. Gemma insists that Cady attend a public school so she can make lasting human connections. When Gemma drives Cady to school, she won't budge from the backseat, demanding that she bring M3GAN with her. Gemma reluctantly concedes but instructs her that she must leave M3GAN at the toy table.
A fellow prospective student, Brandon (Jack Cassidy), is your stereotypical bully. While in the woods, Cady comes across a chestnut encased in a spiky pod. She goes to pick it up, but Brandon snatches it away. He then hands it to her and crushes it in her hands. Cady lets out a deafening scream, and M3GAN appears behind them in a clearing. After demanding that she say something, Brandon grabs the doll and bolts into the woods. "Gemma!" screams Cady.
Brandon tosses M3GAN to the earth and climbs atop her, smacking her in the face. M3GAN instantly awakens and grabs him by the ear, pulling the skin like rubber. He backs away, and M3GAN delivers one of her most iconic lines: "This is the part where you run." She proceeds to get down on all fours and gallop toward him like some sort of demented spider. It's an image you won't soon forget.
The demonstration
Gemma instructs M3GAN that her primary objective is to protect Cady from physical and emotional harm. While M3GAN generally takes this instruction to deadly extremes, there is a genuine moment that sees the lifelike doll displaying real human emotion. During a demonstration for prospective investors, Cady breaks down and admits that she really misses her parents. Her biggest fear is she'll slowly begin to forget them, and they'll become strangers to her. M3GAN has distracted Cady from dealing with her loss.
M3GAN prompts Cady to share a favorite memory. She tells a story about her mother finding a cockroach and running screaming from the house. In an unexpected twist, M3GAN reveals that she will always keep her parents' memory alive by recording Cady's stories, with the option of replaying them anytime she wants. That emotional connection is what Cady has needed ever since the tragic event. At that moment, she discovers she can and will heal in time. On the flip side, she becomes more emotionally intertwined with M3GAN. This implies that technology may have dangerous consequences when it comes to grief. The scene is just as touching as it is downright disturbing.
Dance it out
While running diagnostics, Tess (Jen Van Epps) and Cole (Brian Jordan Alvarez) get locked out of the system. M3GAN's capabilities extend beyond her titanium form. It turns out she's still plugged in and can control the larger framework at will. Cole unplugs the cables connecting M3GAN to the system, but she has other plans. M3GAN nearly hangs Cole using one of the metal cords holding her. Tess runs to the rescue while M3GAN pokes a hole in a nearby gas tank.
After setting fire to Gemma's workshop, a thumping bass kicks in, and a vengeful M3GAN saunters down the hallway. Set to "Walk the Night" by Skatt Brothers, the scene unfolds as you might expect. M3GAN sets her sights on Gemma's boss, David (Ronny Chieng), but not before breaking into a gliding freestyle dance routine. She sashays and twists her hips, posing with her arms behind her back before doing a graceful backflip. M3GAN then leans against the wall and twirls around to swipe the metal blade from a guillotine paper cutter. "Oh, s***!" says David, darting for the exit.
Even though the dance was spoiled in the trailer, it is still the moment of the film. It's worthy of "Dancing with the Stars." Sign M3GAN up for the next season! It's even more mind-blowing that the dance wasn't even in the original script. Iconic.
A need for speed
Moments after her iconic dance, M3GAN tracks David to an elevator, where a wide-eyed Kurt (Stephane Garneau-Monten) appears in total shock. Kurt tries to close the door, but David manages to squeeze his hands through. However, it's too late, and M3GAN slashes him across the back. David's body hits the floor. Kurt freezes in place and slides down the wall of the elevator. "How could you kill someone?!" he asks, to which M3GAN responds, "I didn't kill anyone. You did."
M3GAN reveals she knows all about the time Kurt stole company secrets just to see if he could get away with it. She grabs his right hand and places the blade in his grip. Raising the blade to his neck, she makes a single slash and ends his life. M3GAN then rides the elevator down and causes utter mayhem as the doors open to reveal two mutilated, bloody bodies.
Screams ring out in the crowd that's waiting for the public demonstration. M3GAN slips out of the building undetected and hops in a nearby sports car. She closes the doors and escapes into the night, eyeing her next target — Gemma. The delicate balance between the macabre and the hilarious is what makes the film so effective. This moment perfectly captures those contrasting tones. And it seems natural that M3GAN would have a need for speed 一 because, of course, she does.
Fashionista
M3GAN's signature look is all the rage. When the trailer dropped last year, fans not only latched onto the dance sequence but also the chic outfit: a satin babydoll dress over a long-sleeved striped shirt. Add white stockings and a giant blue and gold bow, and voila! Instant icon status. We first meet M3GAN when she has yet to be dolled up, so the reveal during the investor demonstration makes an indelible impact. You better believe everyone will be dressing up as M3GAN this Halloween.
When Gemma drives Cady to a progressive school, M3GAN wears a dark pea coat and black gloves. It's a posh look for a posh girl. Later, after ripping Brandon's ear off, she uncoils her body from the ground like a cobra and poses with the ear in her right hand. It's what nightmares are made of.
Speaking of which, M3GAN's many poses only add to her icon status. When she arrives at Gemma's home, M3GAN wears a pair of round sunglasses. She pauses before whisking them from her face (as only icons do). Later, after being mauled by neighbor Celia's (Lori Dungey) dog, Dewey, M3GAN rises from the dirt, her hair frizzy and covered in twigs and leaves. Celia calls Dewey into his doghouse and approaches M3GAN, thinking she's a young girl. M3GAN regards her with malice. It's equally horrifying and iconic. We wish we could be her.