M3GAN 2.0 swings for a full-on tonal reboot, the way The Terminator gave way to the splashier Terminator 2: Judgment Day. Where the first M3GAN flirted with straight-faced tech horror, this sequel leans into gonzo slapstick and meme-ready absurdity. It’s not remotely on T2’s level, but the embrace of outlandish fun suits this IP better than pretending it’s solemn. The result: a breezier, dumber, intermittently very entertaining sequel.
The setup is perfectly pulpy. After the underlying code for M3GAN is stolen and weaponized by a defense contractor into a military-grade model dubbed Amelia, creator Gemma (Allison Williams, returning) decides the only way to stop bad A.I. is to unleash upgraded A.I. She resurrects her pint-sized frenemy with faster, stronger, meaner specs and points her at the new threat. Director Gerard Johnstone understands the assignment: bigger set pieces, zanier kills, and a tone that winks at the audience without turning every beat into a punchline. When M3GAN 2.0 gets loud and kinetic, it moves.
It’s worth noting that the film’s ideas remain thin. The movie’s tech take—fight algorithm with algorithm—lands as bleak if you dwell on it, but the film is designed to go down easy. Williams continues to anchor the chaos with just enough sincerity, and Johnstone stages the toy-chest mayhem with crisp, candy-coated snap. The humor isn’t as try-hard as some genre sequels, either; it’s content to be silly and let the visual gags carry.
Within Blumhouse’s recent run, this clears the bar. It’s friskier and more satisfying than the studio’s tech-tinged misfires like Drop and Afraid, and it’s livelier than kid-centric entries such as Imaginary and Five Nights at Freddy’s. Alongside The Woman in the Yard, it’s one of the more enjoyable Blumhouse outings since the original M3GAN. The studio’s upcoming slate (more The Black Phone, Insidious, and Five Nights at Freddy’s) may keep chasing safe bets; this one at least has a pulse.
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Does M3GAN 2.0 reinvent anything? Not really. It’s a low-brow riff on a much better sequel blueprint, content to swap dread for dopamine and let its robot lead chew scenery. But if you meet it at its goofy, neon-lit wavelength, it delivers enough crowd-pleasing havoc to justify the upgrade.
Score: 6/10
M3GAN 2.0 (2025)
- Cast: Allison Williams, Violet McGraw, Amie Donald, Jenna Davis, Brian Jordan Alvarez, Jen Van Epps, Ivanna Sakhno, Aristotle Athari
- Director: Gerard Johnstone
- Genre: Action, Science Fiction, Thriller
- Runtime: 120 minutes
- Rated: PG-13
- Release Date: June 27, 2025
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