2023 is off to a campy start, with Blumhouse's M3GAN a huge box office success and opening up a conversation about what types of horror movies are going to be popular from now on. After writing her thought-provoking film Malignant, which was released in 2021, Akela Cooper penned M3GAN, and the same light tone can be seen in both stories. These films share several common elements, including the fact that rather than being absolutely terrifying, they are creepy and unnerving but have a sense of humor.
Based on the love that fans are showing for this movie about a killer doll, it seems like horror with camp elements could be having a resurgence, as there is a desire to watch a fun film that doesn't take itself so seriously. This is an exciting idea as there is room for both elevated horror and more campy stories.
M3GAN has definitely started a trend, and now that there will be a sequel called M3GAN 2.0, that suggests that other filmmakers could follow this style of storytelling. With box office numbers so high and audiences appreciating the pure fun that is found in this type of movie, it would be surprising if others didn't follow suit. There is one thing that makes M3GAN work so well and keeps it from being a traditionally "bad" horror movie: the sense of self-awareness. If the movie took itself seriously and was trying to be scary, that would be a problem, as it definitely isn't horrifying to watch a robotic doll dance as if they're recording a TikTok video.
There are other memorable campy horror movies that have this same tone, from 2011's The Cabin in the Woods to the Child's Play franchise. From a film about a simulation using horror elements to a story about a killer doll, these films are in on the joke, which is what sets them apart from lackluster releases that don't make an impression. If Chucky was meant to be terrifying, the first movie would have been a disaster and it's unlikely that there would be so many franchise entries, let alone a popular TV series. It's important to separate poorly made movies from ones that want to be funny on purpose.
It's interesting to compare the perception of campy with the box office results. While some might prefer a more serious film or typical slasher that follows the subgenre's rules, The Cabin in the Woods grossed over $69 million worldwide against its $30 million budget, and the first Child's Play film from 1988 had a budget of $9 million and grossed over $44 million. Given M3GAN's profitable opening weekend and how quickly a sequel was announced, it's very likely that there will be more campy films in the near future.
What also makes campy horror such an exciting and interesting subgenre is how many different stories can be told. While it's often associated with silly movies like the 1980s movie Killer Klowns from Outer Space, there are some teen films that fit into this category, like 2020's body swap comedy Freaky or 2014's Unfriended. While there are some creepy moments in each movie, especially in Freaky since Vince Vaughn's Blissfield Butcher killer is extremely dark and violent, the main point is to encourage audiences to laugh and have a good time. Both slashers and supernatural films seem like the best bet for camp, since they can veer into goofy and light-hearted territory very quickly, but a murder mystery can also work here.
The fact that M3GAN is a new take on the killer doll tale, like the famously bitter and sarcastic Chucky, proves that there are audiences ready for these films, and there are more stories like this one that can be told. This doll is very different from the ones who came before, and the fact that the dance scene went viral is a good example of how much fun it can be to indulge in the world of camp. Campy horror movies do stand out, though, from cheesy slashers. While some lesser movies are enjoyable to watch because they don't require a lot of thought or decoding, campy movies are making fun of themselves, which adds a clever layer.
Part of M3GAN's box office success is the buzz that was created before the release, which works perfectly to make people want to see what all the discussion is about and what the movie is really like. Horror movies could become campier over the next few years and follow in M3GAN's footsteps, coming up with a fun premise and delivering with a clever trailer and maybe even a moment that goes viral before anyone even sees the film. It's easy to envision campy horror becoming a successful and exciting subgenre, since there is room to tell stories about any age group and any potential subject.