M3GAN 2.0 (2025): review

Anyone who thought the first M3GAN was already unhinged gets another helping of chaos here. M3GAN 2.0 announces its intentions immediately: more action, more mayhem, more M3GAN — though not necessarily more depth.

The story takes place two years after the original. Gemma, the brilliant but socially awkward developer, is confronted by AMELIA, a military android built using M3GAN's technology. When AMELIA goes rogue, Gemma has to reactivate her former creation, this time with even more dangerous capabilities. The resulting confrontation between two artificial intelligences lands somewhere between Terminator 2 and a bizarre TikTok musical.

This is a film built on the idea that more is more. The pace is fast, the dialogue sharp, and the scenes packed with self-aware humour, pop-culture jabs and shrill excess. Turning M3GAN into an antihero facing an even more dangerous AI is a clever but risky move. The first film still offered a reasonably credible horror scenario with a little social commentary. The sequel largely abandons subtlety for dance routines, constant one-liners and fights that could belong in a science-fiction comic.

Surprisingly often, that works, especially when M3GAN is in her element. Her rigid doll-like physicality, attitude and coolly delivered voice are once again both unsettling and funny. AMELIA is visually impressive but thinly developed. There was room to do more with her.

The performances are solid rather than exceptional. Allison Williams gives Gemma her familiar restraint, balancing panic, guilt and scientific obsession, though the character can feel one-dimensional. Violet McGraw's Cady gets more space and brings a rebellious teenage energy that helps the film. The rest of the cast mostly supplies comic relief or pushes the plot forward. They serve a purpose without leaving much of a mark.

The larger scale is apparent in the sets, effects and sound. The action is well choreographed, the camera moves briskly, and the music contributes to the strange atmosphere without becoming irritating. Yet the horror remains more popcorn entertainment than panic. Violence is stylized rather than genuinely disturbing, which may disappoint viewers looking for something harder-edged.

M3GAN 2.0 throws itself wholeheartedly into its own chaos. It is excessive, funny, garish and oddly likeable, but also shallow, predictable and sometimes too determined to appear cool and ironic. I was entertained, but I also rolled my eyes plenty of times. If you want glossy science-fiction horror fun with robotic girls and over-the-top action, there is enjoyment here. If you want substance, this is less compelling.

For me, it is a solid 3/5, equivalent to 6/10. Loud, wild and entertaining — then quickly forgotten.