These days there are very few things bringing people to movie theaters. Studios are giving people fewer reasons to make an effort due to the abundance of new programming available on streaming. January is a month many consider a slow time for cinemas.
Studios tend to release films considered to be of lower quality or that have less commercial appeal during their "dump months." These are often in the months leading up to the end of the year and even into January. It also happens during the summer, when there is such a glut of films that studios assume people will just go see.
That being said, with the rise of streaming this entire system has been thrown into chaos. Movies that may have been dumped in theaters are now put on streaming services with the hope that they will catch on and garner more viewers. This method is aimed at those who would otherwise have ignored theaters altogether.
However, this also means that the movies that are put out are often seen as being of a higher quality with the ability to draw real crowds. These are the tent poles and the prestige. The Oscar baits and the entire superhero genre. It doesn’t leave much space for films that do not fit these categories. Yet there is one genre that seems to continue bringing people in the door and get their butts in seats. That genre is horror. In particular, the new killer doll film M3GAN.
The Appeal of Horror
For people that love a good scare there is nothing more fun than experiencing it in an environment where they have zero control. At home, they can pause a movie, or even walk away. They can keep the lights on and hug a pillow or turn down the volume on the scary soundtrack. But at the theater they have no control. The lights go down, the score begins, and all of their fears are made real on the giant screen before them.
True horror fans love this idea. Plus, studios can bank on the fact that horror pairs well with almost every other genre, adding new audiences that straight horror might never bring in. Audiences have shown their love for horror and comedy (Scary Movie), horror and romance (Interview with the Vampire), horror and action (Predator), and horror and sci-fi (Alien). These are all movies that bring people to theaters in droves.
But horror not only pairs well with these genres, it proves that it has staying power. Starting with Psycho (1960), every year since has had at least one very successful horror film at the box office. It never fails. Even in the happiest times there are those who want to see horror. It simply speaks to a part of us that we cannot seem to get enough of.
What Is Special About M3GAN?
M3GAN was released in January, a slow time for the movie industry. That was strike one. Strike two was that it has a silly name. This might seem trivial, but there are people that see the 3 in place of the E and roll their eyes assuming the film will be corny. It also involves a malevolent doll. Doll horror is often seen as the bottom of the horror genre.
In the case of M3GAN, you also had a trailer that featured "the dance." This was the part of the trailer where the M3GAN doll dances in a very realistic and creepy way. People started doing the dance on TikTok. But just because something brings about a trend doesn’t mean people will make the effort to see the actual film.
However, M3GAN also had all the makings of a great horror movie. Strangely, for many of the same reasons. It was released in January, a time when a great movie has very little competition. It had a recognizable name that people were not going to forget and that even detractors would continue talking about. The movie also featured a malevolent doll, a fact that many people think is the height of fear, hearkening back to the fame of Chucky in Child’s Play (1988).
And finally, it had a trailer that featured a frightening near-future storyline that showed the doll was not only an overprotective robot but was so creepy that it learned how to dance in a way that was truly frightening. With so many reasons why it could go wrong, it tipped in the opposite direction and got a lot of people talking.
M3GAN Trounces the Box Office
For a movie that could have been an absolute disaster or a mediocre concept on Shudder, M3GAN destroyed the box office. The trailer got people talking and then got them to head to the theater in droves. As of this writing, it has earned over $95 million on a budget of only $12 million.
The film has also been embraced by audiences and critics for its mix of horror, humor, and satire. It has even garnered attention for Allison Williams (Get Out), Violet McGraw (The Haunting), and the various actors who played and voiced the M3GAN character. For further proof of its success, the immediate word of mouth has already garnered the film a sequel.
This performance could only come from a movie with this type of mass appeal. Theater owners and studio execs are breathing sighs of relief that M3GAN came along when it did. Flagging ticket sales have recently only been boosted by Marvel movies and the once-every-three-years James Cameron flick. However, even studios were too nervous to release these films in early January.
M3GAN worked because it had all the ingredients needed for a great movie and all the hype needed to bring people to see it. It may last in people’s memories up against franchises like Child’s Play, but only time will tell. For now, it brought people right where the industry wanted them.