Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for the film “M3GAN”

Directed by Gerard Johnstone, “M3GAN” hit theaters January 6th this year, grossing a whopping $82.6 million dollars in box offices in the US alone. This horror sci-fi piece has seen quite the response from movie watchers. The entirety of its hour and 42 minute long run time entails a plot line many hadn’t expected from the cliche thriller-esque poster it is advertised with.

However, along with many of the people who were lured in to pay for a movie ticket in the first place, I would argue that this movie’s profits have had a lot to do with the uniquely clever advertising. The official trailer makes sure to include the credentials: “From James Wan… producer of Annabelle,” feeding into its obvious attempt to sell the movie as another “killer doll” horror. Besides this, most people interested in the movie would tell you about the few second clips of the doll dancing dramatically down a hallway holding a knife. While it is definitely hard to say that the trailer in itself would instantly receive a harsh backlash from a serious horror movie critic or enthusiast, those of us who prefer the more laid back watch and believe making fun of “bad” movies is simply part of the fun, might be more willing to spend a bit on movie tickets purely out of curiosity. After hearing my friends rave over the clips they’ve seen all over their TikTok for you page, that was exactly what I thought walking into the theater.

The plot line follows a newly orphaned young girl named Katie after a car crash with a taste for electronic toys (which was made dramatically obvious). She was later left under the care of her young aunt who happened to work for a toy company developing elaborate modern toys. Naturally, she tries curing her niece’s post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) by making her the guinea pig for a brand new, never-tested-before life size doll who walks, talks, and even apparently the ability to sing “Titanium” by Sia.

Admittedly, from the get-go, I thought I’d have to relentlessly pick apart the flaws and cliches in this movie in order to enjoy it. About half way into the plot line, my friend and I were proven to be so wrong. After the obvious plot change where M3gan saves Katie from getting bitten by her neighbor’s dog, the “horror” aspect develops as M3gan updates her software making her main purpose to protect Katie from anything. Obviously, the concept of man vs. robot had to be abused and M3gan begins to seem to have more malice intent.

First my friend and I noticed a few awkwardly timed pauses followed by a painfully obnoxious accent of one of the characters (the CEO of the toy company) and just laughed it off as part of a badly made horror movie.  Then it became so obvious that the dramatically unpredictableness of the plot line was a curveball thrown by the producers making it a… comedy? A few kills in, the ball started rolling, or more like running, and my friend and I were doubling down in laughter. One second M3gan was galloping through a forest on all fours and the next she was murdering Katie’s neighbor with a garden hose.

Leaving the theater, one of my friends said something that pretty much sums up the reason behind its 94% rotten tomato rating, “It was only good because they played along with how obviously bad it was.” So, in conclusion, I think you should totally watch it with your friends.