· Morgan · by Luke Scott @ Beatley Library

Here’s proof that a movie made of clichés can be good if produced by the right people. The setting is a secret lab. An agent of “the corporation” – dressed in black, of course – arrives to assess the results of its program. Scientists give worried responses, sometimes alluding to a disaster at another lab. The object of everyone’s focus is an artificially-engineered humanoid, and in an early scene the female creature reveals the violence of which she’s capable. Such projects never turn out well, and it’s easy to guess how this one will end. However, with the likes of Anya Taylor-Joy, Michelle Yeoh, Toby Jones, Kate Mara, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Paul Giamatti playing the main roles in a tightly written and directed feature, it’s easy to overlook the familiar formula and enjoy the action.

■ Title — Morgan
■ Director — Luke Scott
■ Cast — Kate Mara, Anya Taylor-Joy, Paul Giamatti, Michelle Yeoh
■ Rating — R
■ ©2016 | 1h 32m | Action, Horror, Sci-Fi, Thriller
■ Distributed by 20th Century Fox