This exploration of artificial intelligence seems a year late and miles behind the parade, especially when compared with Ex Machina, the 2015 film with which it shares a similar structure and sensibility.  Morgan is more of a conventional thriller than the superior Ex Machina, with quite a cast to gradually eliminate, but it isn’t nearly as good.  It telegraphs almost all of its shocks and follows a familiar pattern until the twist at the very end, which I must admit I didn’t catch until very late in the game.

Luke Scott’s debut film (he is the son of director Ridley Scott, whose company produced this film) works best on its most basic level, as a study of anthropomorphism.  Almost all of the researchers at a secret, remote robotic research facility accept their charge, Morgan (Anya Taylor-Joy), as human, even though she is an artificially created humanoid only two years old, whose physical form has grown to that of a teenager.  But Morgan’s erratic behavior — she has recently stabbed one of the scientists repeatedly in the eye — has forced the corporation funding the research to undertake a complete evaluation of the project.  Its troubleshooter Lee Weathers (Kate Mara) arrives on the scene, causing events to accelerate and mayhem to occur.

My trouble with this movie is not with the premise, but with the inevitability of smart characters doing stupid things.  Again and again these scientists react in ways that repudiate their training, all because they have developed feelings for Morgan.  As I sat alone in the theater I talked back to the screen, telling Dr. Cheng (Michelle Yeoh) to finish the job herself, warning Ted (Michael Yare) not to trust Morgan and berating Dr. Menser (Rose Leslie) for helping Morgan escape.  Didn’t Westworld and its progeny teach the world anything?  These robots are not to be trusted!

The cast, which includes Toby Jones, Paul Giamatti, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Brian Cox, helps things along, but the step-by-step surety of the unfolding chaos is enervating rather than exciting.  Only the final plot twist is really intriguing, although it isn’t particularly convincing as it occurs.  It is, however, nice to see females in action; twenty or thirty years ago this would have been a Jean-Claude Van Damme picture.  Morgan has some merit but it pales in comparison to Ex Machina; see that instead.  ☆ ☆.  16 September 2016.