Spoiler Alert!...
Oh wait, a spoiler alert is impossible. If you've seen the trailer, then you know the movie: an ambitious tech company launches a robot toy that--through the marvel of artificial intelligence--evolves into a killing machine.
But that doesn't mean you shouldn't watch M3gan. It's fabulous from start to finish!
People who scoff at this movie because of its utter ridiculousness missed the point.
As Katie Rife from Roberebert.com says, "Like Malignant, M3gan knows it's ridiculous. It fills a kiddie pool with ridiculousness and splashes around in it."
She's right.
Social satire and dark comedy permit cinema to be zany and outrageous because it reflects life. Our obedience to technology is absurd, and so must the movie be absurd.
In our humble opinion, the satire of M3gan can be interpreted in 3 ways: social, economic, and political. Remember, this is a libertarian review, not some boring tabloid.
1.) Social Satire
The world is fucking crazy. It always has been, but now we have substantial proof circulating the globe through YouTube & TikTok videos.
You're caught on film, buddy, and now you're famous! But don't worry. Wait 3 seconds, your fame will diminish, and you'll return to obscurity like the rest of us.
Okay, we admit it, technology has sped up the process of turning us all into brain-dead zombies.
Technology is a drug we're addicted to and can't live without. Younger generations are subsumed in it. Older generations are too. One day when we reach a point of technological singularity, we will all be computers.
Let me get my best grumpy old man voice ready for this: technology has turned society into a lazy, degenerate pile of dog shit.
We're in deep trouble, and M3gan calls our attention to that.
How long will we keep popping these pills before we go to rehab? If we continue our ravenous addiction to technology, the result is plain. And if you have 1 hour and 42 minutes to spare, M3gan is a brilliant, entertaining way to see it.
2.) Economic Satire
We're libertarians. We love capitalism and free enterprise, but if we're going to maintain our integrity as authors and critics, we have to be honest here too.
We love entrepreneurs racing to the market to offer products at competitive prices. Economic freedom is the foundation of a free society. We would never begrudge an aspiring startup's right to launch its latest creation.
However, just because a product can be made doesn't mean it should be made.
We love capitalism, but we never said it was perfect.
M3gan shows us the world's horrific future if corporations don't implement ethics into their business practices.
3.) Political Satire
While many critics dish up their version of the social and economic satire, many aren't seeing the political side of M3gan.
When Gemma (played by actress Allison Williams) is talking to the social worker who is observing her life to see if she's fit to be a good mother to Cady (Violet McGraw), the social worker offers a sobering critique.
Cady is becoming dependent on M3gan. M3gan is replacing Cady's parents. In this case, because Cady's parents are dead, M3gan is replacing her aunt Gemma, the new caretaker.
M3gan becomes more potent with Cady's trust and servitude. Everything Cady needs comes from this doll: her primary care, her education, her safety, her discipline (like remembering to flush the toilet), her healthcare, and her emotional support. It all comes from one source.
What does M3gan the doll represent in this political satire?
The government.
More specifically, our increasing subservience to it.
If the state gets big enough, it will become our M3gan. Something we think is there to nurture and provide for us but wants us as their slave. The more evolved M3gan becomes, the stronger, just like the government. If we resist, they will just kill us.
M3gan is a political satire, showing us the horrors of what it'll be like when we lose our autonomy and cease to be individuals.
M3gan is big government. And just like in the movie, we know what needs to be done to her.
Conclusion
M3gan is a joyous ride through the futuristic landscape of current technological progress. My laughter and satisfaction drowned the minor complaints I had about this movie.
Great movie. Go watch it.
For more libertarian entertainment, see our Blog.
