Review of Morgan

I didn't go in expecting much of "Morgan" as its core plot has been used and reused in countless other films but I must admit that I came out the other end thoroughly satisfied with the results. Make no mistake, the film is very much a case of the aforementioned refurbished concept (it even cribs from other sources openly i.e. Blade Runner, Frankenstein, etc.) but it approaches its subject matter in a well thought out and paced manner that allows you to invest in the characters emotionally before carting you off into familiar territory.

Morgan is a genetic wonder, a hybrid of human and synthetic, under assessment after a violent outburst that questions her viability as an investment. The exact nature of the reason for creation is kept from the viewer (though somewhat easily decipherable if you're familiar with films of its type) and we are only allowed to view her through the eyes of her creators and her assessor. It is this that makes Morgan engaging as the rift between the two is palpably tense. Her creators have grown to love their creation and the assessor is there to destroy it.

"Morgan" shows restraint where other films of it's nature usually devolve into blatant action. While some story beats prove predictable I grew enchanted with it's reversal of the Frankenstein framework. Where Frankenstein poses questions of the moral and ethical implications of creating life and the ravages on the soul that ensue for abandoning the responsibility of that life, Morgan turns the dilemma on its head. Here the creators love their creation, befriend it, and enable it. "Morgan" thus ultimately asks where do we draw the line between responsibility and emotion? When is it justifiable and logical to end life? And how much do our emotions cloud our assessment of someone's true nature?

These profound quandaries set "Morgan" apart from its peers in this subgenre as much as do the well crafted characters and relationships in the film while never losing its edge as a "science gone mad" thriller. While not necessarily surprising at any point, it is shockingly satisfying. Sometimes familiarity doesn't breed contempt.