Morgan (2016) User Reviews (232)

Had the right ideas but lacked the right amount of spark

[hlcajc · 6/10 · 4 September 2016]

Before anyone reads this, I am glad to read that some movie goers found the movie great. However, this is just my personal take when I saw this film.

Without going into too much detail about what this film entails, I felt as though there were a few moments in the film which could have been better.

1/ The ending was slightly disappointing... and for those who do not understand why then I am sure it will become clear in the end. I just expected more.

2/ I felt as though more connection was needed between Morgan and the audience. I found the clips of her as a child sweet and warming. I even felt sympathy towards her after she had attacked her first and second victims. However, in the end I felt as though I lacked sympathy for her character, after she became more and more out of hand. This also ties into the first point to do with the ending. I was expecting to be moved, riveted. But instead I felt a mixture of "Really... after all that, that's how it ended?", along with a sense of the lack of what I felt was emotion.

3/ I wanted to understand more about why and how the members of staff loved her so much. OK, she was special - but why did they love her the way they did, even after it became clear that she was starting to become dangerous? Why didn't one of them even question themselves over how out of hand things were getting?

Just a couple of points. Apart from that, the film was good enough to hold the majority of my attention throughout and definitely had the potential to be very, very good indeed. Credit where it is due, the film's intentions did seem surprisingly in the right place, but certainly more spark... more depth was needed.

Worth A Watch

[shackledmuse · 6/10 · 31 December 2016]

I don't understand why this movie garnered so much hate from some of the reviewers here. I can only assume it is as a reviewer by the name of BB mentioned, they simply don't understand it.

I'm not going to draw lengthy comparisons between Morgan and Ex Machina, or reminisce about the director's credentials. (Seriously, just go count how many butt hurt Ex Machina reviewers you can spot here. It's annoying, guys.)

I'll simply say this:

1. It's a decent movie, on it's own, and deserves a watch.

2. It's listed as a Horror movie. It is not a horror movie.

3. I guess some of the acting could be better. Overall, it's really not that bad.

4. It has elements that Ex Machina lacked. It's fast-paced and there are actual action scenes. It's not as drawn out either.

5. I am disappointed that Paul Giamatti only appears in one scene. Also, Taylor-Joy was an interesting choice for Morgan. I look forward to seeing her in the upcoming Split.

Good movie - worth watching

[bbv-69237 · 7/10 · 24 December 2016]

After reading many of the reviews (good and bad), I have decided that until IMDb offers the service to select favourite reviewers, that this will be the last review I write. I do this because there are reviewers who wouldn't know a phone was up their rear end, even if it rang. But I retire mainly because there are reviewers who just don't have my tastes in movies, and there are those that do. I only want to read the reviews of those that like most of the films I like. Then if the majority of them say a movie is OK, it is likely I will agree. And vica versa. Therefore I am wasting my time writing reviews for people who don't have my tastes in movies.

This is a very good film - period. By all and any measures. The direction is exactly what needed to be done for this movie - the acting is very good - and the sound is also right. This is not a movie for a star to grace the stage with their brilliance (or several) - it is a solid example of the craft of 'old school' suspense/action movies.

It is clear from watching this movie after reading many reviews, that this is far too 'intelligent' a movie for many reviewers. There is a level of understanding that requires the viewer to think. I guess too many Marvel action movies have dumbed them down, and made them demand clear and concise sequencing and plot development.

Over and out - until I can read the reviews of my favourite reviewers.

Pretty decent little sci-fi thriller.

[Top_Dawg_Critic · 6/10 · 9 October 2022]

It's nothing revolutionary to the genre, but for a low budget Irish film by newb filmmakers, I still enjoyed it, and it's an entertaining one-time watch. There were many decent parts, and the concept worked well, but it got a little sloppy and overambitious by the third act. It lacked cohesion and clarity towards the end, and got a little clunky, cliched and predictable. There were plot and technical issues, but nothing grand outside expected rookie mistakes. The cinematography was great, and had a surprisingly fitting and decent score for a B film. All casting and performances were on point, and the fair pacing made the 92 min runtime fly by. Had the third act been fine-tuned, this easily could've been a great film.

An Entertaining Movie, Though It Feels Very Familiar

[NDbportmanfan · 7/10 · 4 September 2016]

Morgan is about a risk management consultant having to decide whether or not the current artificial intelligence project should continue or be terminated. Lee Weathers shadows the scientists to see how they work with Morgan and her responses in preparation for the real psychic-evaluation the next day.

I felt the story to be compelling with some minor plot holes that I chose to ignore as the overall experience was worth it. I enjoyed all of the characters and their personal relationships with Morgan as they really presented the family vibe. The pacing was good as it had plenty of time to introduce the characters and make them relatable to the audience. The movie is set at a slower pace so don't expect a lot of action or real horror elements which were kind of advertised.

The movie features Anya Taylor-Joy as Morgan who really owns the role. I really believe the way she is going she will become a house hold name before too long. She reminds me of a younger Jennifer Lawrence but with better range as an actress. Kate Mara also shines as the lead character which is nice to see after the fail of a movie that was the Fantastic Four.

I would rate this a little higher if it were more original but sadly it is too much of a reminder of Blade Runner, and more recently Ex Machina. The latter two created an environment so unique to the sub genre while Morgan just feels like a rehash.

Morgan is still a good movie and worth a watch, but don't expect them to rewrite the book. Also it is a good movie to get everyone excited for Blade Runner sequel in 2017 if anything else.

Do paranoid androids dream of electric sheep? Nope, of killing their creators!

[Coventry · 5/10 · 16 January 2020]

"Morgan" is the name of an android, a piece of artificial intelligence, created in all secrecy by a team of devout scientists, in a lab somewhere hidden in a remote and forestry region. Before you start praising the downright magnificent make-up effects on the girl, bear in mind it's actress Anya Taylor-Joy's real face. She's a really good and talented young actress, but admittedly she has a bit of a weird face, which - luckily for her - helps to obtain interesting roles as the "outcast-girl" (also in "Split"). Anyways, Morgan is only five years old, but she already looks like an adolescent and she behaves like a spoiled teenager. Lately, there have been serious issues with Morgan, and she even stabbed one of her creators in the eye. Corporate headquarters sends out emotionally numb but highly professional risk-manager Lee Weathers to assess if "Project Morgan" should be terminated or not. Needless to say, Morgan's makers grew to love her as if she were a real child, and they will not accept that's she killed based on an evaluation by an outsider. Director Luke Scott (son of Ridley who made the Sci-Fi landmarks "Alien" and "Blade Runner") initially tries hard to make "Morgan" is a very ambitious, existential and emotionally challenging Sci-Fi/thriller, but he can't prevent that it turns into a rather ordinary 'stalk & slash' type of B-horror. There are a handful of terrific sequences, notably the scene with Paul Giamatti as the obnoxious auditor, but it's ultimately too lightweight to be considered a significant genre effort. Scott Jr. managed to gather an impressive cast (including Brian Cox, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Toby Jones, Paul Giamatti) and the special effects are more than adequate, but I doubt anyone will remember "Morgan" in ten years' time.

Thriller based on new, gene-spiced individuals.

[TxMike · 2 June 2019]

My wife and I watched this at home on BluRay from our local public library. There is a very interesting "extra" on the disc featuring the filmmakers and a number of scientists and doctors involved in DNA typing and gene-splicing research. The theme of the movie is based on that, a fictional story of what might happen if this were done and certain things didn't turn out favorably.

I really like this movie and Anya Taylor-Joy, who plays Morgan, the synthesized individual, is quite good. With her somewhat exotic looks she is very believable. Part of the synthesis was to develop an organism that matures more quickly and here she is 5 years old but developed to the actress's real age, about 19 or 20 during filming.

The other central character is company specialist, Kate Mara as Lee Weathers. She is quite unemotional, eventually we learn why. She is sent to the remote location to see if Morgan can be a success or if she is too flawed and has to be terminated.

The best scene is when Paul Giamatti as the psychiatrist insists on interviewing Morgan face-to-face, and what happens when he gets too aggressive with his questioning.

Quite a good movie, makes you think. I watched it again in August 2020, it is the kind of movie you can watch every year.

Good movie but misses out on potential

[PopSpective_net · 7/10 · 2 September 2016]

Morgan starts with a simple premise of the moral and ethical implications of genetically crafting a biological being from scratch. Even if such a being looks and acts human, is it? Is the being a "she" or an "it"–and does the being have rights or autonomy, or can it be owned like a pet, or an iPhone?

Based on nothing more than the trailers, the movie struck me as a sort of biological / genetic mirror of Ex Machina. That turns out to be true to an extent, but Morgan doesn't do as good a job of exploring the philosophical question or examining the humanity of the being. The question is sort of posed, and then quickly falls aside as Morgan turns into more of a blood and guts action flick.

There is a twist at the end that I actually didn't see coming. My son says it was obvious early on, but the first hint I got was only moments before the truth of the twist was revealed.

I enjoyed the movie–and I recommend you go see it. I just feel like there was much more potential there to really dig into the philosophical issues and ethical debates of creating a genetic hybrid.

I had a chance to speak to director Luke Scott after seeing Morgan, and we dove into those issues a bit further. Scott told me that in his opinion the basic premise of Morgan is entirely plausible. "A lot of the background science–of course it's a fantasy that we made–but a lot of the background science is rooted in truth."

We talked some about the similarities and differences between the premise of Ex Machina and the premise of Morgan–a cybernetic android being versus a genetic hybrid biological being. Scott shared his belief that the technical possibility of creating something as advanced as the android in Ex Machina is far beyond our abilities, but Morgan, and the ability to create a biological being, is within our reach.

"The science is there," explained Scott. "The only thing holding us back is a moral question."

It is a valid and important moral question, too. If a company like Monsanto can create genetically modified seeds to produce healthier or more bountiful crops and own a patent on that seed, would we allow a genetic engineering company to craft healthier or more capable gene pools and own a patent on those genes? Could we create a society where those with the financial resources are able to purchase superior genetics–thereby artificially widening the gap and creating a population of genetic "Haves" and "Have Nots"? Or, would we deem a genetically modified or engineered being to be less than human–a thing or creature that can be owned, rather than a sentient being with rights?

Those are all great questions to explore, but Morgan really just scratches the surface of them.

I asked Luke Scott what's next on his horizon, and he let me know he's working on a project that also comes with a moral and ethical dilemma, but this one is based on a true story. Scott told me he is working on a script based on a book describing the story of the Donner Party–a group of homesteading pioneers that got caught in bad weather and stranded on a glacier and had to resort to cannibalism to survive.

A swing and a miss

[bankofmarquis · 5/10 · 4 September 2016]

The advertisements MORGAN ended with the question "What is Morgan"?

After seeing this film, my answer is "I don't care"!

MORGAN is the story of what happens when man tries to create artificial life. Much like the superior EX MACHINA, it grapples with issues of whether Morgan is a person, or a thing and should man do this. Unfortunately, it grapples with these issues much like I grapple with getting the top off a jar of pickles - clumsily.

Director Luke Scott (son of Ridley) assembles a strong cast that is, quite frankly, wasted. Kate Mara stars as "Corporate Risk Management Consultant" Lee Weathers who has come to assess the Morgan "project" at a remote research facility (are there any other kind?) - is mysterious and quiet, too much so in fact. I was immediately aware of the telegraphing of "something's up with her" from the get go. Mara (and/or the director) could have benefited from being more subtle with her character.

The usually reliable Toby Jones plays one note as the lead Scientist on the project and the great Michelle Yeoh continues her screen comeback in mediocre films (see my review of MECHANIC RESURRECTION) as another scientist who is there to, I think, mumble the line "We're not going to repeat the mistakes of Helsinki" over and over again. Only Rose Leslie's behavioral psychologist gets to play some range, but her character, who is supposed to be an expert in her field, does some really dumb things.

Add to that 2 actors who, I am assuming, got paid VERY WELL for being in this film. Jennifer Jason Leigh follows up her Oscar- nominated turn in THE HATEFUL EIGHT with this role that she - quite literally - sleeps through for most of the film. Perhaps, she had a juicy scene left on the cutting room floor or perhaps she owed Luke's dad a favor, but this was a NOTHING role that, quite frankly, she brought nothing to.

And then there is our old pal, Paul Giamatti. Mr. Giamatti can be a very fine, nuanced actor. He can also chew the scenery with the best of them - and chew scenery he does. He is in only one scene in this film (though the previews make him look like a major player) and I think director Scott kept saying to him "Bigger...BIGGER!" and bigger he went. To be honest, I was getting a little bored of this movie before Giamatti showed up, so, at least, he pumped some life and energy in this film.

Finally, there is the performance of Anya Taylor-Joy as Morgan. Taylor-Joy is being hailed as an "up and coming" actress for her performances in last springs THE VVITCH and this film. I saw them both and if your definition of "up and coming actress" is playing blank stares and not saying much, then she's your gal. I gotta see more from her before I declare her "the next big thing".

Truly disappointed in this one. If you want to see a film grappling with the issues of man creating Artificial Life, then see EX MACHINA, if you want to see a brand new filmmaker taking a swing and a miss and wasting some good talent, see MORGAN.

5 (out of 10) stars and you can take that to the Bank (of Marquis)

This may be like Ex-Machina...but its not.

[tragicrock-1 · 7/10 · 31 January 2017]

What people miss in this movie, they miss by comparing it to other AI contemporaries. It has everything to do with the subject, but has its own merit...to the end. Yes some concessions have to be made (don't they always), but none too hard for me.

For instance, character development. Little existed because little was needed. Each character was either a known actor (needing less introduction) or stereotypically unique to the cast; letting them stand alone and be quickly evaluated.

This does have the ecosystem qualities, female leads, and similar allure as Ex-Machina, but it's distinctly different. As many more of these films continue to surface in the coming months and years, we all will continue to grapple with the ethics and potential consequences. But rather than pure science, this version deals with the dynamics of science, research teams, human weaknesses in the process, as well as competitive forces of people, corporations, and government (in terms of weaponization).

This movie is succinct, smart, and definitely worth the watch.

Good actors, cool (but unoriginal) concept, but terrible story and character development

[EasternZZ · 5/10 · 13 August 2018]

The trailer was misleading (surprise!). The trailer made it seem like this was going to be some sort of supernatural thriller with Morgan using telekinesis and so what. In reality this movie is nothing more than an action martial arts movie. You read that right, THIS IS AN ACTION MARTIAL ARTS MOVIE!

I actually don't might seeing Kate and Anya engaging in fights during the second half of this movie (This movie is barely 85 minutes, not including credits) because they do a good job with the 2 - 3 fights that they have. The problem is that the fights are so chopped up and quick edited that you end up getting a headache from all the cuts in the fight.

The story is interesting at the beginning but loses itself during the second half when it becomes a martial arts action movie. There is really no horror in this movie, and you can't be scared of Morgan because Anya (Actress playing Morgan) is just too good looking of a girl to be scary. Morgan isn't really a force to be afraid of since all she does is threaten people with a handgun, bite people like a dog, and perform martial arts.

The characters have ZERO development besides Morgan. Kate Mara has zero character development until the final shot of the movie. The rest of the characters, you know absolutely nothing about. Yeoh is a legendary martial arts actress yet she doesn't even get to showcase her skills in this movie at all. This movie tries to bring in this philosophical element of "even if Morgan is not human, she feels human emotion so maybe she IS human," but it completely abandoned all of that during the second act.

Seriously, I am so happy Anya found success in Split because this movie is extremely silly and forgettable. Anya Taylor Joy (Along with the cast) deserves to be in a better film. This is one of the shortest films I have ever seen released on the big screen. It just shows that they had a cool premise but had no idea what to do with it, thus ending it as soon as possible, and with one of the worst death scenes ever for a "villain."

There is a cool twist with Kate's character during the final shot of the film, but besides that, this movie doesn't need to be seen unless you have 85 minutes to spend. Don't expect anything big out of this, expect a paper thin plot with zero development and a ton of hand to hand fighting between Anya and Kate.

A Cynical and Amazing Look At A.I. Sci Fi.

[tabuno · 9/10 · 12 January 2019]

4 September 2016. Ridley Scott's son has put together an icy, cynical, but very intense and psychologically tight sci fi thriller. I assume that many audience members will overlook the superb acting and directing especially when it comes to Morgan, the primary character. What's really difficult to evaluate is the basic underlying premise and twist in the movie which isn't likely to endear audience members with its distinctly anti-audience pleasing expectations. What this movie does as well or better than the best of the scientifically created human movies is the theoretical presentation of the development of a life form that is usually just handled with stereotypical laziness or perhaps better described as underdeveloped primitiveness. Writer Seth Owens and director Luke Scott both put extensive and artful portrayal of artificial life persona into the big screen with both creepy and emotive effectiveness. While Splice (2009) also offered a carefully appealing psychological developmental process of human created life, Morgan offers up an additional covert agenda (with some resemblance to Alien (1979)) as well as an even closer look and vibrant and compelling relational interactions between and among the characters in the movie. Morgan spends more time allowing the audience to experience and absorb and evaluate for ourselves Morgan's existence and its meaning.

Albeit, a number of audience members will likely miss the nuances of this movie and reasonably compare it to Event Horizon (2009) or Cube (2009) due to its cynical nature and that's all. Yet a closer experience of Morgan can also reveal even deeper resonating and at the same time frustrating emotions if one compares Morgan to an assassin movie like Hannah (2011) or La Femme Nikita (1990) of which there are similar parallels in character development and the ethical underpinnings as well as conspiracy theories that tie these movies together.

Unlike Kurt Russell's sci fi character in Soldier (1998), Morgan presents a rather more complex and more opaque presentation than even Roy Batty's character in Blade Runner (1982). Overall, Morgan is a good addition as well as sometimes an apparent improvement on the vast majority of artificial intelligence movies to date, ranking with the best of them including the more forward looking Ex Machina (2015)(which I found an actress being too human trying to be an artificial life form instead of the other way around)), Transcendence (2014), Lucy (2014), Automata (2014), EVA (2011), and my favorite The Machine (2013).

Not quite the horror I was expecting but still good

[SpoilerAlertReviews · 7/10 · 6 September 2016]

Luke Scott, Son of Ridley Scott, give us his feature debut, a sci-fi thriller that has similar elements to Ex Machina, Splice and even Blade Runner. The story is central to genetically created Morgan who is only five years old but displays immense intelligence and emotions beyond teenagers, which comes with violence.

Morgan, superbly played by Anya Taylor-Joy is housed in a confined facility in the middle of nowhere where she's raised by a group of scientists responsible for differences areas of her development like Behavioural Analyst, Amy played by GoT's Rose Leslie and an unrecognisable Boyd Holbrook who's the nutritionist or chef. I couldn't place his face at first but remembered him from Run All Night after looking him up. The team also includes Michelle Yeoh, Toby Jones, Michael Yare, Chris Sullivan, Vinette Robinson and Jennifer Jason Leigh, who all give convincing performances even if only brief.

Something goes wrong and Lee Weathers, played by Kate Mara, a corporate risk assessment manager is sent to do more than just investigate. Taking telephones orders from a Brian Cox who seems to have similar authority as his character in the Bourne saga. There's an eerie sense of conflict amongst everyone and there's even a hint of jealously from Mara's character.

Things go from bad to worse when Paul Giamatti comes to evaluate Morgan's behaviour and the film steps up a gear. Not that it's slow, it's paced very well, introducing each of the characters and then snowballing to the finale before you figure out what's happening. However, I figured it pretty early on, being suspicious of certain characters. If there was meant to be clever twist, it didn't work for me though still a good story and reminded me of Bourne.

There's a moral point here about genetics and human rights though not entirely thought provoking as the film's displays why compassion for Morgan is threw out the window. The finale is great with both Mara and Morgan showing their true colours.

I might be missing something, but could there be a hint at the film Hanna, as there's mention about the Helsinki incident. But there's nothing else to indicate that this is fact. It's very similar indeed, and the end gives away a larger picture.

There's a good score from Max Richter adding to the sinister backdrop of the movie, however I wouldn't as far to say this film is a horror. Eerie, and maybe a little suspenseful perhaps but not scary. It's quite cold, emotionless in parts, but that's possibly deliberate. It's a worthy watch and a great job by Luke Scott but it's not unfamiliar territory and nothing entirely original.

Running Time: 8 The Cast: 8 Performance: 8 Direction: 7 Story: 6 Script: 6 Creativity: 7 Soundtrack: 7 Job Description: 7 The Extra Bonus Points: 5 for being on point for a feature debut. Looking forward to seeing more from Luke.

69% 7/10

No one is THAT stupid

[iamkeiran-381-350454 · 2/10 · 4 December 2016]

Who writes this crap? The characters are written to be so utterly stupid and inept. Aren't they all Doctors? Aren't they meant to be the brightest of their time? No one in their right mind would behave the way they have written them in this film and as a result, the whole film is one long frustratingly stupid movie to watch. I was literally yelling at the screen for someone to actually behave like you would if a serious threat was coming at you.

The premise is basically the same as Ex-Machina but at least that film didn't write everyone as a complete moron!

If you want your sanity, stay away from this film!

If you liked "Cube" or "Event Horizon," you'll like MORGAN

[Ramascreen · 7/10 · 31 August 2016]

The film MORGAN is one that you'd file under decent attempt. Directed by Ridley's son, Luke Scott, you wonder if the apple doesn't fall far from the tree or the talent gets passed down trough genes, well, don't expect MORGAN to be on the same level as Ridley's "Alien," that's for sure, but again, a decent attempt is what it is, the closest to a compliment I can give the film at this point.

Kate Mara plays a corporate risk management officer, a troubleshooter, and she's sent to a top secret location to investigate and evaluate a recent accident, she's supposed to be there to find out what went wrong and judge the asset in terms of the overall profit. At this top secret location, scientists have successfully created what is perceived to be the perfect human (Anya Taylor-Joy) but turns out, she comes with her own set of unpredictable threats.

What I can appreciate about MORGAN is that it takes familiar concepts from the world of science fiction and makes it its own. Creating life out of nothing or creating a life that's flawless has always been a fascination for ages. The film has its own way of addressing that. It's not perfect but the build up, the intensity, and the way things escalate as soon as situations go sideways, they're all well-paced and shot quite nicely. Definitely the one that stands out the most is young actress Anya Taylor-Joy, she already impressed me in "The Witch" earlier this year, and so her cold, calculating, fearsome performance in MORGAN only solidifies her reputation as the latest incredible force to be reckoned with. Better watch out for that one, she's going to go places. With its ensemble cast and its emphasis on keeping you guessing till the very end while wowing you with fight sequences and a big reveal, MORGAN is just the right dose of horror/sci-fi/thriller for us fans of such films as 1997's "Cube" or "Event Horizon" -- Rama's Screen --

Empty Headed & Humorless...Worth a Watch for the Action & Atmospheric Dread

[LeonLouisRicci · 7/10 · 30 March 2017]

Most of the A-List Star Casting seem to Show Up as a Favor for Ridley Scott to Help His Son Luke in His Directorial Debut.

Because Toby Jones, Paul Giamatti, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Brian Cox all have Screen Time that Amounts to Nothing More than an Extended Cameo.

The Story of an Artificially Created Clone/Humanoid/Robot has become so Familiar as to barely Rate a Blip on Our "Species" Radar. So here's another "Submitted for Your Approval".

Comparisons to the Multitude of Previous Pics are Inevitable, Predictable, and frankly the Attacks on this and others of its Type are as Worn Out as the Formula.

This Film Feels Short. Not only the Running Time but the Concept, Characters, and Execution. To Call it Compact would be Accurate. Not much Time is spent on Philosophy, Ethics, or Philip K. Dick-isms.

It just Presents it all in a Slick, Hyper-Kinetic Style where the Humans are as One-Dimensional as Their Creations, and it does it all with Zero Humor. It's Deadly Serious, Dour, and Oh-So Empty Headed where Nobody Dares Smile or Say Anything Intelligent for that matter.

But the Action is Rough and Tumble and the Violence is Sharp. Kate Mara's Stone Face is put to Good Use and the Buttoned-Up, Starched Shirts and Short Cropped Hair can't Hide Her Beauty. Anna-Taylor Joy as "Morgan" is also an Attractive, albeit Creepy Presence. But who Decided to put Her in that Silly Hoodie.

Overall, it's Worth a Watch for the "Girls With Guns" Crowd and others with Low Expectations. It's a Shallow and Slick Eight Million Dollar B-Movie that Action Fans will Like but Sci-Fi Types, Not So Much.

Morgan is a bad cliff notes version of Ex Machina and Splice.

[RforFilm · 3/10 · 5 September 2016]

One sub genre of science fiction we don't see enough of is the mad scientist-story. This is where people attempt to play God and bring something into the world that nature had never intended to. While sometimes the experiments are done with dark intentions, many of the stories feature such scientists as naïve and only trying to improve life. The ones with the beakers and electricity often get lost within their goal and loose their morals in favor of success. The prime example of this has to be Frankenstein. Mary Shelly's novel of a man trying to give life to a body has captivated and spooked people for decades. So where are the rest of these mad scientist stories?

The majority of them have been found in film format with other examples including The Fly, Re- Animator, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, and the one that pushed it the furthest, The Human Centipede. Today's film seems to be a combination of two movies, Ex Machina and Splice. This movie also happens to be directed by Luke Scott, son of the acclaimed Ridley Scott. Now if his father can change science fiction with Alien, can the son do so again with Morgan?

Lee Weathers (played by Kate Mara) is a risk assessment specialist who is sent to Northern Ireland to examine a company's top-secret project about a child that has been created by artificial DNA inserted into a test tube egg. It may be only five years old, but Morgan (played by Anya Taylor-Joy) is already a young woman who is intelligent and seems human enough that her behavior specialist treats her as such. Morgan recently has a tantrum that caused her to lash out a one of the scientists. As such, she lost her privilege to go outside and is the reason why Lee is there; to determine if she is worth keeping alive.

Lee immediately senses that Morgan might be too dangerous and unpredictable to keep going with. Despite the pleas of other scientists that see Morgan as a daughter, Lee only sees her as an inferior company product that needs to be stopped. Things reach a breaking point when a psychologist (played by Paul Giamatti) pushes her feelings enough to murder him and to try and make an escape. It becomes a cat and mouse chase when Lee follows Morgan into the woods to eliminate her.

You can tell that Luke Scott had a lot of influence from his father as there are a lot of elements of Alien towards the end. I'll say that Morgan is a nice looking movie, but not only is it telling stories we've seen before, but creates more problems. Ex Machina is one of the best artificial intelligent movies I've seen in a while, but this is similar, but without the intelligent ideas nor the script to pull it off. I'll say that the transition from a scientist movie to a horror movie has to be one of the sloppiest transitions I've seen in a while.

While a lot of critics seemed to have enjoyed the performance of Kate Mara, I found it surprisingly stilted and plain. While the movie explains it in the story's twist (you can figure it out very early on), it came off as emotionless, as if the actress put herself on autopilot. An insurance seminar would have been more interesting then Kate Mara's performance. The movie happens to be pretty short, barley making in at an hour and a half. I'll bet that several pages of the script were torn out in favor of speeding up the action.

I'll give this three bits of artificial DNA out of ten. Morgan simply doesn't offer anything new, nor tells it's own story in an entertaining way. If you want a good movie about tampering with human genetics, just watch Splice. Morgan is one word movie title I doubt I'll remember come next year. Stop this experiment.

Sleeper

[elewis-97281 · 7/10 · 6 August 2020]

This is a very good movie. The bad reviews focus on expectations. Morgan is not a blockbuster by any stretch but it is clearly above average fair for sci-fi flick. It deserves better than the 5.8 on IMBD's scale and much better than the bad reviews listed here.

I cannot recall a movie to go downhill as badly as this.

[paulmcuomo · 2/10 · 3 September 2016]

OK, there are very heavy spoilers in this, because to talk about the film properly, that's what has to happen.

I was really excited for this movie because of both the premise sounding like there could be a load of cool concepts within it, and the cast. Ridley Scott's involvement did have me concerned - I unfortunately have only really had bad experiences with Ridley Scott bar The Martian - but I still saw it.

The majority of the first part of the film, where it takes its time to explore the facilities and who everyone is and what their role is in Morgan's wellbeing is nice, with there being many characters that the actors do so well in adapting. The overall design of the film is strong, with the Scott's showing a clear expertise in how to make a film look pretty and have high production quality in terms of sets and style.

This is where my positive outlook REALLY goes out the window, and from now on it's all rage. The film does away with a cool concept of the scientists being emotionally attached to this thing they've made, and then makes it into the film of smart people doing dumb things i.e. not increasing any security after the incident in which Morgan brutally stabbed out a anothers eye, allowing a deliberately provoking psychologist to go in unprepared and unprotected (spoilers, that character dies), immediately taking the restraints off her when the last thing she remembers was them agreeing to kill her and telling her she's worthless, or not teaching her anything that would be worthy to know for functioning in the real world (which is the 'explained' purpose of the program). Addition is the fact that certain characters are killed for almost no reason; I mentioned the lady who got her eye stabbed out played by a wasted Jennifer Jason Leigh...we never, EVER find out what provoked her to do this, or kill her as she does later, which is bad writing. Others I'm thinking, "yes that person deserved that"/"Wait, why that guy?"/"Why's this person killing this person?", which all builds up to a twist that is so bad that I saw it in the first 5 minutes but just didn't want to believe. I'll talk about it at the end.

This film is mess; a hot mess that wastes so much of its cast. The best things in the film are the Cinematography, the visual style and that Anya Taylor-Joy, Toby Jones and Rose Leslie were really trying to add so much more than had, and succeeded because they are majorly talented. However, if you are going to watch this, wait for it to be on TV.

OK, twist: The only performance I had a real issue with in the film was Kate Mara, as whilst she is a very quirky, fun actress, the part is completely standoff-ish and emotionless. She's less emotional than Morgan, and at this point I could see she wasn't a risk assessment analyst but likely another experiment. At the end of the film, they reveal that the L3 (lee) is superior to the M4, and she was "perfect" meaning she was indeed another experiment. The problem with this is that entire movie I was on the side of the scientists, and even Morgan, because of the personality they exhibited and that they weren't a blank slate, and also...they were in the right so often and things were made worse by the actions of the company. It also makes me ask a bunch of questions, such as:

• If the L3 was perfect, why bother making Morgan? What was the fault that needed correcting or whatever?

• If that was the sole purpose of the visit, why did so many other characters HAVE to die? Lee murders two people, including a cook that had no role to play in the main story; so much for "perfect".

• What purpose does Lee have to the company? Weapon? Extra help? Profit? If it's any of those, how and why?

• How does NO ONE pick up on any of the obvious hints of what's going on? She speaks fluent Chinese to the Chinese doctor on the project despite being there "not long", and knows so much info the doctors don't, has the ability to survive a long fight with Morgan and clumsily proclaims her job's to kill Morgan.

The whole film I didn't want Lee to win. I'm serious, I totally sided with the 'villain', and that flip at the end put a really sour taste in not just my mouth, the audience I saw it with. And...I end there.

A reasonable twisty turning thriller!

[daveygenius · 7/10 · 14 September 2016]

As a person who enjoys the good thriller I found Morgan creepy with an element of sadness towards The lead character.....

This Film is one that takes you into one thought process making your mind up about those on screen and then you change your mind on more than one occasion .....

How do I talk about this film without giving a spoiler..... well here goes.

In a nut shell corporations shouldn't play God, Morgan is a display of man becoming the creator and getting it wrong .....

If you enjoy a film that leaves you guessing throughout then this is a great film for you.... I for one enjoy a twist in a thriller, if you have a few hours to kill go see this Dark thriller!

interesting idea but needs to be thought out more

[SnoopyStyle · 5/10 · 4 June 2017]

A group of scientists has created Morgan (Anya Taylor-Joy). She/It has certain abilities and attacks Dr. Kathy Grieff (Jennifer Jason Leigh). Lee Weathers (Kate Mara) is brought in to evaluate Morgan and the program. She's risk management from corporate. Lui Cheng (Michelle Yeoh) and Dr. Simon Ziegler (Toby Jones) are the senior scientists. Dr. Amy Menser (Rose Leslie) has an affinity for Morgan. Psychologist Dr. Alan Shapiro (Paul Giamatti) evaluates Morgan's emotional stability.

This tries to be an interesting sci-fi. Some may compare this to Ex Machina. It would not be a favorable comparison. It needs to rethink the protagonist and who should that be. Lee has certain attributes which makes her a difficult rooting interest. That ties into the twist/reveal. By the end, the reveal is not shocking as much as it's perfunctory. After a couple of fights with Morgan, one could guess at the reveal. Also, the scientists don't act right although I put that to Morgan's mental influence. This is a good sci-fi Twilight Zone idea but it needs more thoughtful developing.

I Was Skeptical at first but...

[sevenseven7 · 8/10 · 6 July 2017]

very intrigued by what I watched in this film.I felt the momentum build-up to the very end of the movie...........then BANG! What a climatic ending to Morgan. It was definitely NOT what I was expecting to see towards the ending of this movie.I have to admit I really did not expect too much out of what I was gonna watch and with all those who gave this film bad reviews of what I read before borrowing this movie to watch.

Nothing groundbreaking, but perfectly watchable!

[Guildmark · 6/10 · 13 August 2019]

This movie will not give you many philosophical questions to ponder about when it comes to the morals of AI, instead we get a pretty run of the mill movie with good performances from Ana Taylor Joy and Kate Mara, whereas the rest of the characters were very forgettable. It's a slow start but picks up after a while!

I would recommend this movie if you are a fan of the actors or the subject of AI.

Conventional and boring.

[Rendanlovell · 4/10 · 16 September 2016]

As I watched 'Morgan' something became fairly obvious to me. This movie wanted to be 'Ex Machina' really bad. It's set in a remote location with a small cast. All of which are attempting to study a new form of human. Unlike 'Ex Machina' this film doesn't have any social or political commentary. Instead, this film has a twist ending that anyone could see coming from a mile away. Mainly, the film is about a young girl named Morgan that is a kind of superhuman. She has muddled powers and ages far more rapidly than any other human being. But, after an accident, a corporate consultant comes in to determine if the project can continue.

The plot picks up as Kate Mara, the consultant, comes into the compound. She meets the workers and learns more about the situation. The one thing that worked really well for me was Kate Mara. Her performance was spot on for the character that she played. She may not have been the most involving protagonist, but what was odd is that she was meant to be that way.

She was meant to play this odd, stone cold person and she did a great job. Other than her there were only one or two other good performances. Boyd Holbrook was the only other actor in the film that was great. Unfortunately, his character, Skip, doesn't get the screen that he deserved. Yet, he made the most of the time that he got.

The only other thing that I can say impressed me was the camera work. Most of the interior shots were more or less close ups and that got a bit tiresome but everything else looked fantastic. The outdoor shots, the flashbacks, almost everything looked excellent. It was shot and colored to help you get more into the scene. And, even better, the camera was used a few times to give neat foreshadowing.

Which was subtly used to help allude to things to come. All of that worked very well. Where this film falls apart is basically everywhere else. The story especially suffers. This mainly stems from the lack of compelling main characters. The film tries very hard to create sympathy for both the humans and the super girl. But it doesn't let you learn much about them or them motivations.

Instead, they act completely irrationally for the entirety of the film. Like, this super girl stabbed a ladies eye out and murdered another guy and the scientists still try to protect her. I mean, the lady that lost her eye was one of them. Do they all seriously think that she won't kill them too? It's this irrational behavior that stops the film from being anything remotely interesting.

You are constantly pounding your face against the wall. It also doesn't help that this type of story has been done thousands of times over. An alien of some kind is grown in a lab and it escapes and wreaks havoc. There's nothing new about his story and the film doesn't really do much to subvert that same story. Aside from it's "twist" there isn't anything new.

Putting aside the dull, exposition-heavy story line, the most obnoxious thing about this film is the music. It's sometimes this strange electronic pop, techno sounding garbage and other times it's the old cut and paste stuff you hear in every movie. You get the "scary" violin stuff and the loud action music but these are both overshadowed by the sympathy music that plays almost every time Morgan is on screen. Instead of giving her a relatable persona, they just play this cheesy dumb song over the top.

Outside of the excellent cinematography and solid performances, this film is nothing new. Its soundtrack is obnoxious, the characters two dimensional, and the story is the same thing you see with every film like this. It's a lazy excuse for a movie. If you've seen anything that remotely sounds like this then you've already seen this movie. So, instead of seeing this, just go watch that other thing you saw.​

Sci-fi hodgepodge blend of Species, Frankenstein, Splice and even Blade Runner

[george.schmidt · 7/10 · 6 September 2016]

MORGAN (2016) **1/2 Kate Mara, Anya Taylor-Joy, Rose Leslie, Michael Yare, Toby Jones, Chris Sullivan, Boyd Holbrook, Vinette Robinson, Michelle Yeoh, Brian Cox, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Paul Giamatti. Sci-fi hodgepodge blend of Species, Frankenstein, Splice and even Blade Runner (that explains since director Luke Scott, making his big-screen debut, is son of Ridley, the film's executive producer): when a corporate science experiment goes awry efficiency expert Mara is sent to investigate dissevering the synthetic creation (ethereal Taylor-Joy) has begun to grow in ways never expected - including feelings beyond control. Well made with a decent cast the shortcomings are that it is altogether familiar in its genre tropes and the big reveal is pedestrian at best.