‘M3GAN 2.0’ Tried to Do It All, and Ended Up Doing Nothing. Here’s What Went Wrong

From the chilling porcelain grimace of Annabelle to the
stitched-up terror of Chucky, cinematic history is rife with dolls that have
haunted our nightmares. These inanimate objects, brought to life with
malevolent intent, tap into our primal fears of the innocent and the familiar
becoming monstrous. This long-standing subgenre has produced enduring icons,
but with the meteoric rise of M3GAN and her subsequent sequel, questions
emerge.

Did the very elements that made her a cultural sensation
ultimately lead to her undoing at the box office?

M3GAN 2.0’s genre shift and overconfidence backfire

The studio behind M3GAN 2.0, which premiered in New
York on June 24, 2025, and was released on June 27, appeared to suffer from an
overconfidence in its lead character. In The Summer Box Office Report Card:
Surprise Hits, Big Flops, and Key Takeaway podcast, the return of the scary robot doll was discussed. Bill Simmons said, “They thought M3GAN could do
anything.” She was a superhero, she was funny, and they got away from what
made the original work, which was a horror movie. The studio’s creative misstep led to a significant genre drift that diluted the film’s appeal.

The original film’s success was built on its genuine horror elements, creating a sense of dread and suspense. The sequel, however, leaned heavily into camp, humor, and spectacle, prioritizing memeable moments over scares. This shift in tone misjudged audience expectations and contributed to the sequel’s financial and critical struggles, as it lost the very niche audience that had made the first film a hit. The sequel’s mixed reviews
and underperformance reveal a fatal miscalculation. The original M3GAN
film was a critical smash hit, with a rating of 93% on Rotten Tomatoes. In
contrast, the sequel, M3GAN 2.0, received 57%, reflecting its mixed
reviews and a significant drop in critical favor.

As one doll’s cultural savvy failed to secure
its legacy, the other’s classic dread endures and is waiting to haunt.

A classic’s enduring haunt: Annabelle’s return in The Conjuring: Last Rites

In a stark contrast to M3GAN 2.0, the upcoming film The
Conjuring: Last Rites understands the power of a doll as a horror mascot.
The final installment of the main series will feature the Annabelle doll, with
director Michael Chaves confirming her inclusion. He stated that it was
important to include her as she is the enduring face of the franchise. While
the film is based on a different real-life case, the Smurls’ haunting decision to bring Annabelle back is a deliberate move to provide a satisfying,
full-circle conclusion to the terrifying story that began with the previous
films.

The enduring success of the Annabelle doll within the
franchise lies in her consistent role as a vessel of pure, uncomplicated evil.
Unlike M3GAN, she is never a source of humor or a spectacle for spectacle’s
sake. She is included in the new film precisely because her presence is a
guaranteed source of genuine dread for the audience. Her role is to bring the
franchise to a conclusive end by relying on the core horror appeal that made
her an icon, demonstrating that in the horror genre, some dolls are best left
with their identities firmly in the shadows.

Do you think M3GHAN 2.0 lost its plot? Let us know in the comments below.