Megan 2.0 Review: The Killer AI is Back—and Better Than Ever

⭐️⭐️⭐️½ (3.5 out of 5 stars)

Megan 2.0

Directed by: Gerald Johnstone

Written by: Gerald Johnstone

Starring: Allison Williams, Violet McGraw, Amie Donald, Jenna Davis

Release Date: June 27, 2025

Published: June 30, 2025

I wasn’t a big fan of 2023’s M3GAN. It felt hollow—too campy to be scary, too violent to be fun. Horror-comedy is tough to pull off, and the first installment didn’t stick the landing. But the box office success guaranteed a sequel, and that gave director Gerald Johnstone another shot at getting the tone right.

He nailed it.

Megan 2.0 is a sleek, satisfying upgrade. It dials in the absurdity and tones down the grimness, creating a smoother mix of satire, suspense, and killer AI mayhem.

⸻

What’s Megan Been Up To?

If you’ve forgotten how the first film ended, here’s the gist: Megan was destroyed (or so it seemed) after turning on her creator, Jemma (Allison Williams). She was defeated by her “primary user,” young Cady (Violet McGraw)—the girl she was built to protect.

But Megan isn’t the kind of AI to go quietly. Two years later, we learn she backed herself up in the cloud, waiting for the right moment to return.

Meanwhile, Jemma is juggling motherhood and advocacy—working to regulate artificial intelligence. But trouble finds her again when a rogue defense contractor uses her original Megan design to create Amelia (Ivanna Sakhno), a lethal, autonomous android who goes rogue, kills her target, and vanishes with a dangerous invention.

Now the FBI suspects Jemma is on Amelia’s hit list. When Megan re-emerges with a plan to help stop Amelia, Jemma and her team—including Cole (Brian Jordan Alvarez) and Tess (Jen Van Epps)—are forced to consider the unthinkable: building Megan a brand-new, upgraded body to save them all.

⸻

Megan FINALLY Comes Back

Megan 2.0 doesn’t hit the ground running. The pacing stutters in the first half, and the conflicts between Jemma and Cady feel forced—delaying the real fun: Megan’s comeback. Jemma’s hesitation to reactivate Megan stretches credibility, especially with Amelia tearing through anyone in her path.

But when Megan returns in full form? The movie wakes up.

Amie Donald once again delivers an uncanny physical performance, all precise movement and eerie confidence. But it’s Jenna Davis’s voice that gives Megan her spark. A single gag involving Megan performing a pop song nearly made me fall out of my chair. It works because Davis knows exactly how far to push the joke—never too silly, never too safe.

⸻

Final Verdict: A Smart, Slick Sequel

Megan 2.0 isn’t perfect. The script could use a trim, and the emotional beats sometimes drag. But as a genre sequel, it’s a big step forward. The violence is toned down, the tone is more consistent, and Megan herself finally becomes the star the first film wanted her to be.

This is the version of Megan we were promised—clever, creepy, and hilarious. If the creative team keeps moving in this direction, I’d absolutely sign up for Megan 3.0.

⸻

⭐️ Final Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

⸻

💬 Enjoy this review? Want more cult horror, killer robots, and deep dives into what makes genre films tick?

📲 Follow me here on Vocal for weekly reviews and retrospectives

🎥 Subscribe to my YouTube channel at YouTube.com/Moviesofthe80s

🧠 Scarlett Johansson Week is now live on Medium.com/Reelscope

Did you see Megan.2.0? Let me know what you think in the comments. Did it improve on the original or were you hoping for more blood and less camp? Jump into the conversation, let's connect in the comments and you can join me on s0cial media as well, on Blue Sky @IH8Critics and on Twitter @PodcastSean.

Let’s talk movies.