Megan

Directed by Gerard Johnstone, Megan details the chaos and violence that ensues after an artifically-intelligent (and life-sized) doll begins to deviate from its original programming. Filmmaker Johnstone delivers a slow-moving thriller that admittedly fares best in its deliberate yet promising first half, as the movie boasts an appealing roster of characters and a Twilight Zone-like narrative that isn’t quite as predictable and by-the-numbers as one might’ve anticipated – although, by that same token, it’s clear that scripter Akela Cooper’s reliance on eye-rolling conventions and tropes (eg the death of a neighbor’s dog) does prevent the viewer from wholeheartedly connecting to the material. It’s perhaps not surprising to discover, then, that Megan progresses into an increasingly underwhelming midsection and second half, as the picture suffers from a muted approach that dulls the impact of certain key sequences (ie this is a movie that’s practically screaming for a more hard-edged approach) and paves the way for an almost laughably neutered (and hopelessly generic) climax – which, when coupled with a distinctly overlong running time, ultimately does cement the film’s place as a distressingly half-baked endeavor that rarely lives up to the potential afforded by its seemingly foolproof setup.

** out of ****