M3GAN, directed by Gerard Johnstone, is a comedy horror movie that documents the life of Gemma Williams, a roboticist whose work results in the creation of a sentient robotic life form named M3GAN. M3GAN takes an immediate liking to Gemma's niece, Cady, which leads her to become an extremely possessive entity who wants nothing more than to keep Cady to herself.
As a comedy horror, M3GAN is both barrel of laughs and a nail-biting rollercoaster from start to finish. While it is unique in a variety of different ways, it consists of countless similarities to other movies that movie-goers should definitely check out if they enjoyed what M3GAN had to offer.
7 The Menu (2022)
The Menu, directed by Mark Mylod, may not share an overly similar premise with M3GAN, but it certainly is just as fun. It follows Margot Mills (played by Anya Taylor-Joy) during her visit to Hawthorne, a renowned restaurant owned by Julian Slowik (played by Ralph Fiennes). As a comedy horror, it's better to watch this film in high spirits, as it features some incredibly humorous moments alongside some surprisingly frightening twists and turns.
Like M3GAN, The Menu never takes itself too seriously, which serves to be one of the movie's most enjoyable aspects. It's a fine example of how modern horror movies don't need to rely on fear to tell a convincing story, an idea that M3GAN embraces too.
6 Orphan (2009)
Orphan, directed by Jaume Collet-Serra, follows the story of Kate Coleman and her husband, John. Having lost their most recent child, Kate and John decide to adopt a young Russian girl named Esther and welcome her into their home.
Little do the Colemans know, however, Esther isn't exactly what they assume her to be. Strange things begin happening around the house due to her presence, but it takes the Colemans a little too long to realize that their new daughter is the source. Orphan is one of the best examples in cinema of how an assuming child can channel pure evil, so those who loved M3GAN for that reason will likely thoroughly enjoy this somewhat similar story.
5 The Boy (2016)
If a sentient doll appears in a horror movie, it usually means bad news. In The Boy, directed by William Brent Bell, Greta Evans is hired by a wealthy family to look after a porcelain doll named Brahms while his parents are away on holiday. Shortly into her stay, however, Greta begins suspecting Brahms to be a living entity.
The Boy is a tense watch from beginning to end, mainly because of how unpredictable it is. It may not be as humorous as M3GAN, but it makes up for its lack of comedy with the tense atmosphere it provides. Though Brahms isn't as active as M3GAN, he is arguably just as unsettling through his design alone.
4 Robert (2015)
Though Robert may not be as humorous as M3GAN, it can be quite amusing if viewers take it for what it is. Directed by Andrew Jones, Robert documents the life of a family of three who ends up in possession of an unusual doll named Robert, which Jenny believes to be evil.
Sadly, Jenny's son, Gene, refuses to part with Robert, but that doesn't stop Jenny from taking matters into her own hands. Even though Robert may not be as critically acclaimed as M3GAN, it can be a great watch for those willing to embrace its ridiculous story.
3 Annabelle (2014)
Annabelle, directed by John R. Leonetti, in essence, is a prequel to The Conjuring that follows the tale of a possessed doll named Annabelle. It documents how the now infamous Annabelle came to be and the reasons why she became such a feared entity in the world of The Conjuring.
Where M3GAN evokes fear through her actions and motivations, most of what makes Annabelle so frightening is the way she has been designed. Even if she wasn't sentient, it would be hard for anyone to feel comfortable if left alone in a room with her. Those brave enough to bare witness to another one of the most terrifying dolls in cinema should definitely make the effort to see Annabelle.
2 Magic (1978)
Magic, directed by Richard Attenborough, follows the story of a young magician's assistant named Corky Withers (played by Anthony Hopkins), who seeks to launch his own solo career. When his first gig goes poorly, however, Corky's mentor advises him to seek out a better way to entertain audiences.
This leads the magician to experiment with ventriloquism, and though his first performance with the doll, Fats, is a resounding success, Corky refuses to further his career due to fear of his mental illness being discovered. Fats is then revealed to be a sentient being who quickly becomes aggressive whenever he disagrees with Corky's life choices. Like M3GAN, Fats is extremely possessive of that which he fears losing, a trait that often leads him to commit some seriously heinous crimes. Unlike M3GAN, however, Fats isn't exactly what he seems.
1 Child's Play (1988)
Tom Holland's Child's Play tells the story of a bloodthirsty doll named Chucky who wants nothing more than to kill all those who make his acquaintance. Chucky is arguably the most renowned sentient doll to ever appear in a horror movie, so fans of M3GAN should definitely seek Child's Play out of they wish to experience something similar.
Like M3GAN, Child's Play functions as a mix of both comedy and horror, which is wise considering that the movie's premise is quite absurd. Though it may not be as emotionally compelling as M3GAN, it still manages to stay exciting, even if Chucky's motivation can feel a little repetitive at times.
M3GAN is currently available in theaters.