Now Streaming: Gerard Johnstone, M3GAN and Before

We've got M3GAN on our minds.

With M3GAN 2.0 set to open wide in theaters this Friday, it seems timely for us to reiterate that we love director Gerard Johnstone, who is able to create some terrifying images, broken up by cracked comedy. We've been following his career since his international break-through with 2014's Housebound.

Though he has not been prolific, every movie and television show that he's directed and/or written reflects his distinctive sensibility. Below, we've gathered a guide to his past work, along with the appropriate streaming services, where legally available.

Born in New Zealand, Gerard Johnstone began working at local television channel C4 in the early 2000s, where he met and began working with actress and presenter Jaquie Brown.

The Jaquie Brown Diaries (2008)
Not currently streaming.

Johnstone and Brown dreamed up a comic series that sounds like fun. Johnstone wrote and directed, while Brown played a fictionalized version of herself. Have a look at a 'making of' feature, which gives an idea of their influences. The show won multiple New Zealand Film and TV Awards, concluding in 2010.

Housebound (2014)
The film is now streaming on Tubi, as well as Pluto., Roku Channel, and more than a dozen other Free Ad-supported Streaming Television platforms.

Johnstone came to worldwide attention with his feature debut, which enjoyed its world premiere at SXSW 2014, which is where I saw it. I remember that New Zealand's own Ant Timpson was highly enthusiastic about the movie; his recommendation prompted me to see the movie, which the entire audience, myself included, thoroughly enjoyed.

In my review, I wrote in part: "It's rare to see a horror-movie premise that's upended and shaken about as completely as done here. or once, it actually makes sense as to why someone would stay in a house that they think is haunted by a restless, unfriendly spirit: she doesn't have a choice. So simple, so elegant, so forceful."

I also highlighted something else that I enjoyed: "All this is handled with a deadly
serious tone that is broken at unexpected moments by deliciously deadpan humor. The levity relieves tension while feeling organic to the narrative; it always makes complete sense and never detracts from the nail-biting atmosphere."

Reportedly, Johnstone's handling of horror and comedy convinced producer James Wan to hire the director for a movie about a little deadly doll. Before that happened, Johnstone returned to make episodic television.

Terry Teo (2016)
Not currently streaming.

My hard-working colleague Andrew Mack made us aware of this comic television series, only available On Demand in New Zealand, that looks very funny, per the trailer below.

Indeed, director Johnstone told Andrew: "It's kind of like Elmore Leonard for kids with a little Shane Blackness thrown in." It's based on a comic book series, Terry Teo and the Gunrunners and I still very much want to see this.

The New Legends of Monkey (2018)
All six episodes are now streaming on Netflix.

Cheerful and sprightly, the show was designed for young adults: "So the fight scenes are brief and not particularly bloody," as I noted in my review, "and the overall tone of the series is very, very light and playful. Combined with the running time -- about 23 minutes per episode -- it was very easy to binge the 10 episodes in just a couple days."

Gerard Johnstone "helms the first four episodes with a light touch, and alternates with Irvin as director. It adds up to a delightful experience that I thoroughly enjoyed."

M3GAN (2023)
The film is now streaming on Starz.

Truly, this movie was a happy surprise that arrived in movie theaters in January 2023, giving a boost to audiences who ventured out during the latter part of the pandemic. In the words of fellow editor and critic Shelagh Rowan-Legg: "Screenwriter Akela Cooper (Malignant, American Horror Story) proves once again she's one of our brightest screenwriting stars, with a warped yet oddly believable and modern tale that wears its fear on its pretty ruffled sleeve, with plenty of jump scares and commentary on the contemporary family and working woman. Throw in director Gerald Johnstone (Housebound), whose part work explores some of these ideas, and this is a winning combination."

Allison Williams starred as a roboticst who brings home an experimental toy companion, inspired by her grieving niece (Violet McGraw). Shelagh concluding her review by calling the film "the perfect blend of scares and dark laughs to keep the audience on the proverbial edge of their seats." Those words propelled me into a movie theater, and, once again, I very much enjoyed what Gerard Johnstone made, based this time on a great script by Akela Cooper.

M3GAN: Unrated (2022)
The film is now streaming on Starz.

At the time of the film's theatrical release, multiple critics commented on reports that the film had been trimmed in order to gain a more all-encompassing PG-13 rating, with a wish that the full-blown R-rated version be released. Lo and behold, an R-rated version become available, so you can watch it now for comparison, if you've only seen the original.

Personally, I prefer the PG-13 version -- I'm old-school in that I like things that are suggestive rather than lean on blunt-force trauma -- but many, if not most, prefer the R-rated version. So, all you bloodthirsty fiends, this is for you.

M3GAN 2.0 (2025)
The film is opens Friday, June 27, via Universal Pictures.

Following the same theatrical release pattern as the original, M3GAN 2.0 will first see release in a PG-13 rated version, but don't be surprised if an R-rated version follows. This time, Akela Cooper and Gerard Johnstone wrote the story, with Gerard Johnstone returning to the director's chair.

Allison Williams and Violet McGraw return, along with Amie Donald and Jenna Davis, who again provide movement and voice work for the titular character. Look for our review as soon as possible this week.

Now Streaming celebrates independent and international genre films and television shows that are newly available on legal streaming services.