Morgan
A corporate risk-management consultant must determine whether or not to terminate an artificial being's life that was made in a laboratory environment.
Working with a modest budget of $8.0M, the film achieved a steady performer with $8.8M in global revenue (+10% profit margin).
Plot Structure
Story beats plotted across runtime
Narrative Arc
Emotional journey through the story's key moments
Story Circle
Blueprint 15-beat structure
Arcplot Score Breakdown
Weighted: Precision (70%) + Arc (15%) + Theme (15%)
Morgan (2016) showcases carefully calibrated dramatic framework, characteristic of Luke Scott's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 32 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 7.1, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Characters
Cast & narrative archetypes
Morgan
Lee Weathers
Dr. Amy Menser
Dr. Simon Ziegler
Dr. Lui Cheng
Skip Vronsky
Dr. Alan Shapiro
Kathy Grieff
Main Cast & Characters
Morgan
Played by Anya Taylor-Joy
A synthetic human created through artificial intelligence who exhibits violent tendencies after five years of development.
Lee Weathers
Played by Kate Mara
A corporate risk-management consultant sent to evaluate whether Morgan should be terminated after a violent incident.
Dr. Amy Menser
Played by Rose Leslie
A behavioral psychologist who has formed a maternal bond with Morgan and advocates for her survival.
Dr. Simon Ziegler
Played by Toby Jones
A nutritionist and part of the research team monitoring Morgan, emotionally attached to the project.
Dr. Lui Cheng
Played by Michelle Yeoh
The lead scientist and creator of Morgan who views her as both creation and responsibility.
Skip Vronsky
Played by Boyd Holbrook
The head of security at the research facility, pragmatic and cautious about Morgan.
Dr. Alan Shapiro
Played by Paul Giamatti
A psychiatrist brought in to assess Morgan's mental state, antagonistic and condescending.
Kathy Grieff
Played by Jennifer Jason Leigh
A behaviorist on the research team who has grown fond of Morgan.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Lee Weathers arrives at a remote research facility to assess the risk of Morgan, a synthetic human who recently attacked a scientist, stabbing her in the eye.. Significantly, this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 12 minutes when Lee meets Morgan face-to-face in her containment cell and witnesses her unsettling blend of child-like innocence and calculated intelligence.. At 13% through the film, this Disruption is delayed, allowing extended setup of the story world. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
The First Threshold at 23 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 25% of the runtime. This reveals the protagonist's commitment to The psychiatrist deliberately provokes Morgan during the evaluation, and Morgan violently attacks and kills him, confirming she is dangerous., moving from reaction to action.
At 47 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 51% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. The analysis reveals that this crucial beat Morgan returns to the facility and begins systematically killing the scientists, revealing her true predatory nature and superior combat abilities., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 70 minutes (76% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Dr. Cheng, Morgan's mother figure, is killed by Morgan, representing the death of Morgan's last connection to humanity., demonstrates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 74 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. The revelation: Lee is also a synthetic human, an earlier generation sent to terminate the failed Morgan prototype. Lee accepts her mission fully., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Morgan's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 15 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs systematic plot point analysis that identifies crucial turning points. By mapping Morgan against these established plot points, we can identify how Luke Scott utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Morgan within the horror genre.
Comparative Analysis
Additional horror films include Thinner, A Nightmare on Elm Street and Mary Reilly.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Lee Weathers arrives at a remote research facility to assess the risk of Morgan, a synthetic human who recently attacked a scientist, stabbing her in the eye.
Theme
Dr. Cheng discusses whether Morgan can be considered truly human, raising the central question: what defines humanity and consciousness?
Worldbuilding
Lee learns about the facility, meets the scientific team who have bonded with Morgan, and discovers Morgan is a five-year-old artificial being with accelerated growth and intelligence.
Disruption
Lee meets Morgan face-to-face in her containment cell and witnesses her unsettling blend of child-like innocence and calculated intelligence.
Resistance
Lee debates Morgan's fate with the team, who argue for her humanity and potential. A psychiatrist arrives to perform a psychological evaluation.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
The psychiatrist deliberately provokes Morgan during the evaluation, and Morgan violently attacks and kills him, confirming she is dangerous.
Mirror World
Lee observes the maternal relationship between Dr. Cheng and Morgan, seeing how the scientists have projected human emotions onto their creation.
Premise
Morgan escapes containment and goes on the run through the woods with sympathetic scientist Amy. The team hunts for her while debating her termination.
Midpoint
Morgan returns to the facility and begins systematically killing the scientists, revealing her true predatory nature and superior combat abilities.
Opposition
Lee fights to survive as Morgan hunts down and kills the remaining team members. Lee demonstrates unexpected combat skills that seem beyond a corporate risk assessor.
Collapse
Dr. Cheng, Morgan's mother figure, is killed by Morgan, representing the death of Morgan's last connection to humanity.
Crisis
Lee processes the carnage and prepares for final confrontation with Morgan, while beginning to reveal her own synthetic nature through her tactical precision.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
The revelation: Lee is also a synthetic human, an earlier generation sent to terminate the failed Morgan prototype. Lee accepts her mission fully.
Synthesis
Lee and Morgan engage in brutal hand-to-hand combat. Lee uses her superior training and emotional control to defeat Morgan, ultimately drowning her in a lake.
Transformation
Lee calmly reports mission success to her corporate handlers, fully embodying her role as the emotionless, obedient synthetic that Morgan refused to be.