Morgan (2016)

A corporate risk-management consultant must decide whether or not to terminate an artificially created humanoid being.

Director:

Luke Scott

Writer:

Seth W. Owen (as Seth Owen)

Stars:

Kate Mara, Anya Taylor-Joy, Rose Leslie

2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Kate Mara	...	Lee Weathers
Anya Taylor-Joy	...	Morgan
Rose Leslie	...	Dr. Amy Menser
Michael Yare	...	Ted Brenner
Toby Jones	...	Dr. Simon Ziegler
Chris Sullivan	...	Dr. Darren Finch
Boyd Holbrook	...	Skip Vronsky
Vinette Robinson	...	Dr. Brenda Finch
Michelle Yeoh	...	Dr. Lui Cheng
Brian Cox	...	Jim Bryce
Jennifer Jason Leigh	...	Dr. Kathy Grieff
Paul Giamatti	...	Dr. Alan Shapiro
Crispian Belfrage	...	Charles Grimes
Amybeth McNulty	...	Morgan Age 10
Jonathan Aris	...	David Chance

Storyline

Lee Weathers is a "risk-management specialist" for genetic-engineering company SynSect. She arrives at a rural site hosting its L-9 project, an artificial being with nanotechnology-infused synthetic DNA named Morgan. The "hybrid biological organism with the capacity for autonomous decision making and sophisticated emotional responses" is smarter than humans and matures quickly, walking and talking within a month and physically a teenager despite being five years old..

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Plot Keywords:

humanoid | biosynthetic creature | interrogation | violence | metaphor | 

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Taglines:

Don't let it out

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Genres:

Action | Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for brutal violence, and some language

Did You Know?

Trivia

When Dr. Weathers first meets Morgan, the music playing is the countertenor (originally soprano castrato) aria, "Ombra mai fu", the opening aria from the 1738 opera, "Serse" ("Xerxes") by George Frideric Handel. The aria is often referred to as "The Aria of Love" and is often used, with or without lyrics, as incidental music at weddings. The music (sans vocals) alone is known as Handel's "Largo" because of the tempo signature of the piece.

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Goofs

Of Morgan: "She likes different kinds of music. Jazz, classical. She's been quite taken with opera of late."

(woman singing) The piece is Handel's largo, which is written as opera but nobody would refer to it as a taste for opera, any more than Handel's Messiah. Baroque would be the category. It's a different audience entirely.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Dr. Kathy Grieff: [enters the holding cell] Hi, darling. It's me. I thought we'd have lunch together today. Oh, angel, you look sad. You know, it's a very, very natural thing. It's actually a very human thing to feel sad. But emotions aren't bad.
Dr. Kathy Grieff: I'm sorry, baby. I'm still trying to get them to change their mind and let you out for a little bit.
Dr. Kathy Grieff: [Morgan suddenly lunges at her and begins stabbing her] No! Get off! No! Oh, god!

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Connections

Featured in Hollywood Express: Episode #14.35 (2016)

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Soundtracks

Very Cruel
Written by Channy Leaneagh (as Channy Moon Leaneagh) and Ryan Olson
Performed by Poliça
Courtesy of Mom + Pop Records
By arrangement with Zync Music Group LLC

User Reviews

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

"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.

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official Instagram

Country:

USA

Language:

English Mandarin

Release Date:

2 September 2016 (USA)

Also Known As:

Morgan

Filming Locations:

Newcastle, County Down, Northern Ireland, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$8,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$2,012,709, 4 September 2016

Gross USA:

$3,915,251

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$8,809,407

Company Credits

Production Co:

Burk A Project, Scott Free Productions, TSG Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

92 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Atmos

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1