The new tech-horror movie M3GAN achieved viral status before it even hit theaters, but its subsequent box-office performance suggests there’s more to this film’s success than just dance memes. Part of it can be chalked up to the degree to which it is a perfect January movie, but there’s also its well-balanced combination of self-aware humor, capitalist critique, and parental anxiety, all of which it shares with its most direct cinematic antecedent, 1988’s franchise-starter CHILD’S PLAY. After talking out our reactions to M3GAN’s use of magic-adjacent “emergent technology” to stoke very real human fears, we draw some connections to CHILD’S PLAY’s weaponization of the uncanny valley, skepticism about marketing to children, and understanding of childhood trauma. Plus, our resident Chucky expert Scott offers his suggestions for how to navigate the rest of the franchise.
Please share your comments, thoughts, and questions about CHILD’S PLAY, M3GAN, or anything else in the world of film, by sending an email to comments@nextpictureshow.net, leaving a short voicemail at 773-234-9730, or commenting on our Patreon (patreon.com/NextPictureShow), where you can also find bonus episodes and more.
Outro music: “Titanium” by Anthony Willis & Jenna Davis (M3GAN OST)
Next pairing: Richard Brooks’ IN COLD BLOOD and Alice Diop’s SAINT OMER
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
#426: Playing the Hits, Pt. 2 — The Fall Guy
#425: Playing the Hits, Pt. 1 — The Stunt Man
#424: Mixed Doubles, Pt. 2 — Challengers
#423: Mixed Doubles, Pt. 1 — Y Tu Mamá También
#422: Alex Garland's Catastrophic Visions, Pt. 2 — Civil War
#421: Alex Garland's Catastrophic Visions, Pt. 1 — 28 Days Later
#420: Final Cuts, Pt. 2 — Do Not Expect Too Much From the End of the World
#419: Final Cuts, Pt. 1 — The Player
#418: Crimes of Passion, Pt. 2 — Love Lies Bleeding
#417: Crimes of Passion, Pt. 1 — Bound
#416: Ethan Coen Co-Capers, Pt. 2 — Drive-Away Dolls
#415: Ethan Coen Co-Capers, Pt. 1 — Raising Arizona
#414: Beach Bummers, Pt. 2 — How to Have Sex
#413: Beach Bummers, Pt. 1 — Where the Boys Are (1960)
#412: Road Trip Trios, Pt. 1 — The Holdovers
#411: Road Trip Trios, Pt. 1 — The Last Detail
#410: Hunting Games, Pt. 2 — Self Reliance
#409: Hunting Games, Pt. 1 — The 10th Victim
#408: Succession, Pt. 2 — The Iron Claw
#407: Succession, Pt. 1 — The Godfather
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
The Best Song Podcast
Every Single Sci-Fi Film Ever*
Talking Simpsons
From Beneath the Hollywood Sign
Too Much Information