M3GAN, the ChatGPT of horror, comes to Showmax

M3GAN, a science fiction horror movie about an artificially intelligent (AI) doll that develops self-awareness and becomes hostile towards anyone who comes between her and her human companion, is now streaming on Showmax.

Cady is a little girl whose parents were killed in an accident, leaving her an orphan. She is sent to live with her aunt Gemma, a roboticist at Seattle’s high-tech toy business Funki.

She just happens to be working with M3GAN (Model 3 Generative Android), a life-sized humanoid robot doll powered by artificial intelligence that is supposed to aid in caretaking responsibilities and to be a devoted friend to the kid to whom it is assigned.

Gemma is forced to quit the project after a botched test in front of her employer David.

Gemma and Cady struggle to adjust to their living circumstances, since Gemma is a workaholic who doesn’t have time to interact with Cady. When Cady sees a prototype of M3GAN, she wants it as a toy, which motivates Gemma to finish the project.

Gerard Johnstone directed the film, which was written by Akela Cooper (Malignant, Luke Cage) from a narrative by Cooper and horror legend James Wan (Annabelle, Malignant and the Insidious, The Conjuring, and Saw franchises), who also produced with Jason Blum.

The film first hit cinemas in January, as the world went into a frenzy about ChatGPT, the AI content creator. The G in that name happens to stand for Generative.

Named Best Horror Movie of 2023 at the Hollywood Critics Association Midseason Awards, M3gan has a 93% critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes, where the critics’ consensus says, “M3GAN is the rare horror-comedy that delivers chuckles as effortlessly as chills.”

Critics’ Choice nominee Allison Williams (Get Out, Girls) stars as Gemma, with Young Artist nominee Violet McGraw (The Haunting of Hill House, Black Widow) as Cady, and Amie Donald (Sweet Tooth) nominated for a 2023 MTV Movie Award for Best Villain as M3gan.