M3GAN's 12 Most Disturbing Moments, Ranked
Contains spoilers for "M3GAN."
"M3GAN" follows Gemma (Allison Williams), an inventor employed by a company focusing on highly advanced toys for children. Not content with the toys she's expected to develop, Gemma's efforts have been channeled into developing a sophisticated android. This coincides with her sister and brother-in-law dying in a tragic car accident, leaving their daughter Cady (Violet McGraw) an orphan. Now Gemma must care for Cady, while struggling with her own odd social habits, built up over years as an anti-social inventor.
Following a conversation with Cady, Gemma turns the situation into an opportunity and creates M3GAN in the process. Complete with human-like features and a highly advanced artificial intelligence, M3GAN is said to be the perfect child companion. However, it soon becomes clear that M3GAN (physically played by Amie Donald) is out to protect Cady at any cost, even if it means piling up bodies. This results in a siege of moments ranging from suspenseful to sickening, so sit back and enjoy the 12 most disturbing moments from "M3GAN," ranked.
Megan's dance of doom
From the minute the trailer for "M3GAN" dropped, there was no escaping this utterly meme-worthy moment. As the film settles in for its third act, M3GAN fully solidifies her psychopathic turn by going berserk ahead of her public unveiling. Not only does she assault Gemma's coworkers, nearly scorching them alive, but then goes after Gemma's boss David as well. As David marches the hallway, miffed over Gemma's premature departure, M3GAN makes her presence known in a big bad way. She chases David down and as she glides through the hallway, proceeds to bust into a bizarre dance.
While this moment is still disturbing in a darkly humorous way, there's no denying that the scene is just that — humorous. Granted, this does culminate in David's gruesome demise, but the buildup to it is a supremely campy moment in an already campy movie. "M3GAN" has a solid balance of horror and humor, often to simultaneously great effect, but this moment definitely leans heavier into the comedy.
The construction of Megan
One of the joys in any robot-centric film, horror or otherwise, is seeing the titular android getting assembled. A prime example of this is the opening title sequence of "Short Circuit," which takes ample time to show the construction of Johnny 5. Early on in "M3GAN" we're introduced to Gemma and the fancy toy company she works for, the Funki Company. Funki is shown to specialize in highly sophisticated robotic toys, most famously a Hatchimals and Furby-like hybrid known as a Perpetual Pet. However, it's quickly shown that Gemma and two of her cronies have bigger plans in mind, much to their boss David's chagrin. Their initial demo doesn't go as planned, with the prototype M3GAN glitching out.
It's here that we get to see M3GAN in the early stages of her construction, still missing many of her key visual features. With her exposed metallic skull being outfitted with its flesh-like exterior, it even conjures up memories of the "Child's Play 2" title sequence. Seeing M3GAN in this unfinished, borderline skeletal state is more than a little bit creepy, and a solid omen of what's to come.
Megan pairs with Cady
From the moment M3GAN is fully constructed, it doesn't take too long for things to go from zero to creepy. We see that, following a conversation with Cady, Gemma is driven to improve the prototype robot she'd previously shown her boss. Cady, upon seeing an old robot of Gemma's named Bruce, notes that if she had something like it she'd likely never need another toy. This results in Gemma giving her invention a complete top-to-bottom overhaul, designed to be just right for Cady and potentially other children. This eventually results in the fully finished M3GAN, complete with fashionable clothes and a cute — if uncanny — face.
Upon their admittedly very bizarre introduction to each other, Megan quickly pairs with Cady as her primary user. It's during this sequence we are given a taste of M3GAN's POV, a recurring motif throughout the film. In an instant, M3GAN makes Cady's happiness her number one goal. Certainly nothing unsettling about that ... right? It's a moment that's disturbing due to the film's premise, meaning that you, the viewer, know already that this can only end badly. It's also another potential homage to another killer robot movie, in this case "The Terminator," particularly with the distorted cybernetic POV shots.
Megan watches Cady as she sleeps
It doesn't take too long for things to get creepy with M3GAN, as it becomes clear that she takes her programming a little too seriously. After pairing with Cady, maintaining her happiness and well being soon becomes a consistent mission for M3GAN. At first it seems innocent enough, as it appears that M3GAN is meeting her objective with flying colors. She successfully dazzles Gemma's boss and a room of potential product investors during an in-house presentation. Then, M3GAN and Cady begin playing constantly, with Cady taking more and more of a shine to her new robotic companion as the days go on.
However, it seems that M3GAN has taken a major shine to Cady as well, going as far as to watch her as she sleeps. This is one of the first signs that M3GAN is starting to go wrong, as this is the time she should be offline recharging. We've seen variations on this moment in other movies, most recently the 2019 "Child's Play" reboot featuring Mark Hamill as Chucky. That film already proved that placing an unchecked artificial intelligence in a children's toy is a bad idea. Needless to say, M3GAN does a pretty good job in this film of giving Chucky a run for his money.
Megan threatens the therapist
You never mess with someone's BFF, especially when that someone is an unstable android with rapidly evolving killing capabilities. The catalyst for the film's events are set in motion when Cady's parents are killed in a car accident. This leaves her in the care of Gemma, her mother's sister, who must now serve as her guardian. As part of this newfound arrangement, a child therapist makes semi-regular visits to see how Cady is adjusting. The first visit serves to show the audience just how unprepared Gemma is as a new guardian, not really knowing how to interact with Cady.
However, the awkwardness of this encounter is upstaged by the therapist's next visit, when M3GAN is present. The therapist's very serious line of questioning quickly upsets Cady, bringing her to tears, much to M3GAN's very heated disapproval. M3GAN then proceeds to threaten the therapist, simply telling her, "You made [Cady] cry, " which understandably unsettles both adults in the room. Jenna Davis, the voice of M3GAN, is one of the film's true standouts and this moment is a perfect example of her chilling delivery.
Megan attacks Gemma's coworkers
The film's climax truly kicks off on the night of M3GAN's intended public unveiling, which is where everything goes completely sideways. It's at this point of the film that Gemma finally steps up in terms of her guardianship of Cady. Following a heated conversation, Gemma opts to dip out on the highly touted presentation to drive Cady home and put her to bed. During this time, M3GAN is restrained in a harness prior to her unveiling, being prepped by Gemma's coworkers, Cole and Tess. However, as things start to go on the fritz it soon becomes clear to them that something is very wrong with M3GAN.
Before they can successfully unplug her, M3GAN launches her counterattack, starting by tying Cole up in her restraints. She's then able to intercept a phone call intended to warn Gemma, who's currently in transit with Cady. M3GAN then releases some gas and sets off an explosion, setting Gemma's workspace ablaze with Cole and Tess inside. It's from here that M3GAN begins her epic rampage that makes up the film's final act.
Megan lives?
The film's finale is a true nail-biter, as it seems that nothing can really stop M3GAN, who just keeps coming with relentless tenacity. But despite the robot's best efforts, with Cady's help, Gemma is able to finally put M3GAN down for good just as the cops arrive. Not only that, but it's shown that her coworkers, clearly a bit worse for wear, also survived. This allows an exhausted Gemma to take Cady and finally depart, leaving their technological nightmare behind.
All seems to be wrapped up in a neat little bow — that is, until we see Gemma's Siri-like home assistant come back online. Much like other great slasher villains like Chucky or Jason, it appears that M3GAN might have been able to cheat her demise in haunting fashion. Whether or not this will lead to an '80s slasher-style sequel remains to be seen, but it certainly wouldn't be unwelcome.
Megan kills the neighbor
Early on in "M3GAN," we're shown that Gemma has to deal with a rather nosy neighbor who has a rather annoying dog. At first, it's shown that Gemma has to constantly tell her neighbor to keep the dog off of her property. After Cady and M3GAN have a run-in with the dog, the pesky canine soon ends up in M3GAN's cybernetic crosshairs. M3GAN dispatches the dog off-screen, causing the neighbor to immediately point a finger at Cady and Gemma.
Despite police intervention, there's nothing to really connect them to it beyond the previous incident, much to the neighbor's annoyance. Not one to leave loose ends, M3GAN sets her sights on the neighbor, and makes her move later that night. She hides in the neighbors shed and, after emerging from the darkness, immediately attacks her in a gruesome fashion. M3GAN must be a fan of Fede Alvarez's "Evil Dead," because she uses a nail gun to subdue the neighbor. Never one to do something halfway, she then proceeds to grab a pressure washer the neighbor was seen using earlier. This is more than enough to fully put her down, making for a gloriously disturbing sequence and a true showcase of how dangerous M3GAN can be.
Megan kills Gemma's boss (and his assistant)
Gemma's boss David, played by senior "Daily Show" correspondent Ronny Chieng, provides comic relief throughout the film with his jerk tech mogul persona. It's a character that in lesser hands could've been stock and annoying, but Chieng definitely makes the role his own. This makes his eventual demise all the more disturbing and even a little bit hilarious, a balance the film handles quite well. Following her now meme-worthy dance of doom, Megan takes off in hot pursuit of David. Fortunately for him, escape is in sight as the elevator at the end of the hall opens up with his assistant inside.
But the assistant, having been thoroughly mistreated by David throughout the film, quickly begins pushing the elevator's "close" button. This allows M3GAN to catch up and gruesomely dispatch David before turning her attention to the assistant. She notes his mistreatment under David and how he'll make the perfect cover for this murder, thinking three steps ahead as always. Both men's bodies are found in the elevator, horrifying those in attendance for the unveiling and allowing M3GAN to hijack a car and ride off.
Megan attacks Brandon
After some steady buildup, M3GAN finally shows just how dangerous she can be when Cady is bothered by a bully during a school trip. Upon being dropped off, one of the adults chaperoning notices M3GAN in the car and asks what she is. After Gemma explains that she's a toy, Cady is allowed to keep M3GAN with her, although she must be left with the other kids' toys and belongings. But soon enough, Cady soon finds herself being abused by a rather nasty kid named Brandon, neither child aware of the degree to which Cady's happiness and protection is M3GAN's main objective.
In a flash, M3GAN attacks Brandon and goes as far as to rip his ear off, throwing it into the woods. Brandon runs and M3GAN gives chase, entering some form of attack mode where she gets on all fours and pursues him like a wild animal. M3GAN herself doesn't get to finish off Brandon, as in his escape he stumbles into the road where he's then hit by a car. M3GAN then later informs Cady, in rather disturbing fashion, that Brandon will not be going to heaven and that no one will ever hurt her again.
Megan attacks Gemma and Cady
The closing moments of "M3GAN" truly make for some of the film's most enthralling moments, as the climax makes every second count. Upon arriving home, Gemma is confronted by M3GAN, who firmly dispossess with any pretense of being friendly towards her. She even goes as far as to say that Gemma "shouldn't be a mom," just as one last kick in the gut. Cady emerges to see M3GAN attacking Gemma, finally seeing her robotic "friend" in all of her true homicidal glory. This results in M3GAN's movements becoming more erratic and creepy, very much in line with Sadako/Samara from "The Ring."
After attacking Cady and Gemma, it seems that M3GAN is harder to put down than a T-800. All joking aside, the parallels to "The Terminator" are blatant, right down to M3GAN's human-like exterior slowly being eroded throughout the final fight. Just as it seems like Gemma is doomed, Cady takes control of Bruce, Gemma's old prototype robot, to begin whopping M3GAN like a ragdoll. But even this isn't enough to put M3GAN down for good, leaving Gemma to finish her off by plunging a screwdriver into M3GAN's "brain."
Megan kills a dog
If there's a single filmmaking rule that everyone can agree on, regardless of genre, it's that you do not hurt the dog. Early on in the film, we see that Gemma seems to have a recurring issue with her neighbor — more specifically her very annoying dog. Things definitely take a turn when Cady and M3GAN are playing outside and get too close to the fence between the two homes. This results in Cady and M3GAN being attacked by the dog, leading Gemma to rightfully chew out the neighbor. The neighbor maintains that they shouldn't have been poking around the hole, trying to absolve herself of any responsibility.
Seeing Cady in distress immediately triggers something in M3GAN, who immediately seeks a solution to the problem. Later that night, using her ability to mimic voices, M3GAN lures the dog to her and proceeds to drag it away. We're thankfully spared its onscreen demise, but given that the neighbor is looking for it the next day, it's pretty clear what happened. You never mess with dogs in movies and this was more than enough to solidify M3GAN's menace in one fell swoop.