Megan Movie Review

Megan is a 2023 science fiction horror comedy film directed by Gerard Johnstone and starring Allison Williams. It’s a delightfully campy, entertaining flick.

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“I thought we were having a conversation?“

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A robotics engineer at a toy company builds a life-like doll that begins to take on a life of its own. Coming in January, this is one of the rare movies released in this usually horrible month for cinema that actually turned out to be good, and not just good, but very strong. It received tremendous reviews and amazing box office results, which is understandable when you see how fun it really is.

Megan is a mish-mash of different genres that mostly work well together. Due to an evident emphasis on self-aware and campy humor, it is very much a comedy. It is also a horror as it has some very effective horror scenes that, though not really scary, are superbly executed and a lot of fun.

But the movie is also a science fiction story, which is something most fail to bring up when discussing it, but it’s very much there and it’s hugely important thematically speaking. This is an anti-technology story that features a message that warns people of the harm that in particular toys and tech can bring to kids. These days parents just give a tablet to their kid, effectively evading their parenting responsibilities that way. This movie criticizes that practice forcefully.

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When it comes to the performers, Allison Williams is the most memorable actor here. Best known for ‘Get Out’ and ‘Girls’, she has always been a competent, underrated performer and here she was perfectly cast as this scientist who isn’t really fit for parenting. The dynamic between her and her niece was very well established and the film promoting the importance of parenting, even for people who may not be a great fit for it was wonderful and hugely valuable.

Violet McGraw as Cady also delivered a strong child performance and the same should be said for Amie Donald, who portrayed Megan herself. Megan was brought to life through both classic acting and also a mixture of puppetry and CGI, and the result is an instantly classic horror creation that can rival Chucky in her memorable dialogue and icy demeanor.

The worst parts of Megan are all in the third act. The ending is not only predictable, but also extremely familiar as everything that happens in every single moment is rehashed from countless other movies with a similar subject. Overall, the movie struggles in some horror scenes as they are unoriginal and uninspired.

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But where it excels at are the campy humorous moments that elevate the script significantly and make the movie more lightweight and fun. The dialogue is surprisingly clever and sophisticated throughout. The VFX work is stupendous, the editing and pacing are top-notch, and the directing and cinematography are both competent too.

Hilariously campy and over-the-top in its self-aware humor, but also strong in its sci-fi themes, Megan is a rare horror comedy that really works. It’s a film that warns against the dangers of technology while still consistently being entertaining and delightfully lightweight. Strong performances, VFX work and dialogue elevate what is otherwise a pedestrian script that led to that overly familiar and uninspired third act.

My Rating – 4