The Worst Special Effects Of 2023 So Far

“M3GAN” was an unexpected box office hit and a solid reminder of just how entertaining horror-comedies can be. The film introduces M3GAN, a highly sophisticated doll imbued with artificial intelligence, created by Gemma (Allison Williams), a roboticist working at a fictional toy company. However, while M3GAN’s main purpose is to serve as a protective companion to Cady (Violet McGraw), Gemma’s recently-orphaned niece, she soon begins to pursue a more sinister agenda.

The bodies begin piling up at record speed as M3GAN goes on a rampage, destroying school bullies, nosy neighbors, and even a dog. Impressively, most of M3GAN’s onscreen carnage is achieved with practical effects, the most impressive being M3GAN’s uncanny valley-infused facial features and still robotic movements. However, the keywords there are “most of,” meaning there are a fair amount of computer-generated enhancements. This includes some noticeable CGI blood, as well as some moments where M3GAN herself — most notably her face — is computer generated.

In the film’s finale, a genuinely entertaining sequence, M3GAN goes from being a practical effect to mostly CGI, and it’s definitely more distracting than intended. The human eye is always going to catch when a real physical element — for example, a face — is suddenly transitioned into being rendered digitally. It’s a less-than-desirable addition to a film that, up until that point, had done a better job integrating different special effects styles.

“M3GAN” was an unexpected box office hit and a solid reminder of just how entertaining horror-comedies can be. The film introduces M3GAN, a highly sophisticated doll imbued with artificial intelligence, created by Gemma (Allison Williams), a roboticist working at a fictional toy company. However, while M3GAN’s main purpose is to serve as a protective companion to Cady (Violet McGraw), Gemma’s recently-orphaned niece, she soon begins to pursue a more sinister agenda.

The bodies begin piling up at record speed as M3GAN goes on a rampage, destroying school bullies, nosy neighbors, and even a dog. Impressively, most of M3GAN’s onscreen carnage is achieved with practical effects, the most impressive being M3GAN’s uncanny valley-infused facial features and still robotic movements. However, the keywords there are “most of,” meaning there are a fair amount of computer-generated enhancements. This includes some noticeable CGI blood, as well as some moments where M3GAN herself — most notably her face — is computer generated.

In the film’s finale, a genuinely entertaining sequence, M3GAN goes from being a practical effect to mostly CGI, and it’s definitely more distracting than intended. The human eye is always going to catch when a real physical element — for example, a face — is suddenly transitioned into being rendered digitally. It’s a less-than-desirable addition to a film that, up until that point, had done a better job integrating different special effects styles.