Loved 'M3GAN'? Stay Far Away From This Soulless Spinoff With Only 53% on RT

In 2023, M3GAN became a pop culture phenomenon – viewers embraced the campy horror movie about an AI companion doll that goes on a bloody rampage, drawn in by its lighthearted tone and humor.

Now, a spinoff titled Soulm8te, from the same production team, has hit the screen. However, unlike M3GAN, the new flick is completely devoid of humor and originality.

What Is 'Soulm8te' About?

In the near future, David, an IT specialist, works for a major AI corporation while grieving the loss of his wife. The company has developed a prototype companion robot modeled after a woman.

Ignoring the advances of an attractive colleague, David orders the robot and repeatedly reprograms it to make the device seem more "lifelike." This inevitably leads to tragic consequences.

'Soulm8te' Not Only Repeats the Mistakes of 'M3GAN 2.0', but Also Makes Them Worse

Soulm8te repeats the mistakes that doomed the M3GAN sequel: a lack of original ideas and clumsy execution. While the original movie was a hit thanks to its tongue-in-cheek tone, the spinoff lacks humor and feels forced.

The movie attempts to critique the patriarchy and power structures but instead revolves around men and turns the heroine into their servant. Instead of gaining freedom, the robot attacks the main character's potential partner and kidnaps neighbors' children to become a "good wife."

Director Kate Dolan tries to say something new, but her ideas are derivative. For instance, Obsession, written and directed by a man, offers a far better critique of the nice guy archetype and the aggressive drive found in some men to strip women of their bodily autonomy.

'Soulm8te' Is an Entirely Derivative Product That Wastes Lily Sullivan's Talent

Lily Sullivan, known for Evil Dead Rise, seems far too talented for this mess – her dramatic potential is the movie's only bright spot, yet it fails to save the day.

The script is riddled with plot holes, and the characters' motivations remain baffling, so watching Soulm8te feels like a complete waste of time.

The movie went straight to digital, and it's being sold for $20. However, for an hour and a half of agony, Universal should really be paying the viewer, not the other way around.

What Did Critics & Viewers Think of 'Soulm8te'?

• Soulm8te has 53% from critics and 58% from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes.

• On IMDb, the movie has a score of 5.8/10.

• On Letterboxd, Soulm8te scored 2.7/5.0.