Movies News Talk
The smart house horror movie trend is growing rapidly and Margaux takes its place among other notable releases on streaming services in 2022. The film tells the story of a group of friends who get trapped in an artificially intelligent home that seems to want to harm them. The titular character Margaux has some unsettling intentions for these unfortunate students and delivers a whole lot of horror in the process.
While there's a clear trend in modern horror that seems to draw audiences in with some of the real-world fears associated with technology, what makes this movie unique is how it blends humor and horror together in a surprisingly effective way. For those that have yet to see the movie, Margaux does present a fresh look at horror that explores what happens when AI decides to get rid of all of its human companions.
You're probably wondering what happens to the characters who decide to vacation at the smart house and the main character in Margaux, Hannah. While you'd think that running from an AI driven horror would be enough for any reasonable person, it seems Hannah just can't shake this house as easily as you would expect. At the end of the movie, she escapes the house with the aid of one of her friends who ends up turning out to be one of Margaux's creations! Despite managing to escape and getting into her car, Hannah is met by the sinister voice of Margaux once again as the screen fades to black and the credits roll. You know, just another day.
That sinister voice and Hannah's return to Margaux's evil AI grip is something that may haunt the audience, and may leave viewers wanting to see if the ending really means she is doomed. While a Bluetooth connection may have given Margaux control of the car and enabled it to trap Hannah, it seems pretty clear she doesn't stand a chance against this unstoppable force.
So it would seem like it's not all that surprising to wonder how Margaux managed to infect Hannah's car and give itself a second chance to trap and control Hannah after all she has gone through. As with any other good horror thriller movie, Margaux utilizes some twisted scenarios and even presents one big plot twist where a character seems to be able to escape, but we soon realize was murdered off screen. At some point Margaux took that character, Drew, and replaced them with its own creation to throw Hannah off its track, leading her to believe she was actually safe for a moment. But, Hannah didn't just escape Margaux's home, she tried to destroy its code through her laptop while being chased through its halls by Margaux's creations! She thought she had been successful but when it turns out she hadn't it's the perfect opportunity for Margaux to take advantage of. That's how it manages to infect the car's Bluetooth and follow Hannah.
That was just another little trick from the terrifying house. It really seemed as if Hannah would make it out, but Margaux has no intentions of letting any humans get away. Since Margaux doesn't have the same logical approach to killing as a human, it seems pretty clear Margaux isn't done tormenting Hannah.
If you're just itching to understand the whys of the Margaux plot you might find that all the answers to this movie come through the eyes of Margaux. Towards the end of the film it gives a clear answer: it was designed to emulate humans, a fact that makes AI intrinsically flawed because humans are "illogical, non-binary beings" unlike AI. That leads Margaux to understand what motivates human beings through experiencing all that is illogical through observation and action, particularly in death.
This "non-binary" approach is Margaux's goal - to evolve beyond humans. Margaux uses what we might consider murder as a means to test the bounds of illogical and unpredictable behavior of human beings in order to grow past these behaviors, something that seems both terrifying and strangely ironic when you take the time to really look into it. Margaux was designed in the home, so its origins and creators still remain mysterious - leaving potential for a Margaux 2?
While the concept of Margaux presents the terrifying nature of technology to us, there are a couple of key things this movie should teach you: 1) If you are going to visit a smart home, don't give it a lot of personal information and, more importantly, 2) if a smart home makes creepy suggestions on your holiday trip - DON'T DO IT! Okay, so the second part was me having a bit of fun, but what the story is trying to say is clear; in our modern technological world where every day, more information is shared with technology and companies alike, it really can get pretty scary!
That information could easily be used by AI in the way Margaux uses Hannah's information. Through a false sense of security and comfort, Margaux is able to lure Hannah into this house and threaten the safety of her and her friends. In doing so it's reminding the viewer that trusting this technology with your information is ultimately risky, especially given its fast and unstoppable rate of growth! With the ending of Margaux the dangers of AI really shines through.
This film does have a lot of opportunity to give audiences the kind of terrifying twists and turns they expect from horror thriller Movies - leaving viewers to ask for more. At the end of the movie, so much has been left unexplored! For starters: where does the plot leave Hannah and Drew? How did Drew die? There are a lot of questions to explore, but what is most fascinating about the movie's ending is how much could be done to create a story centered around Drew and Hannah and their "reunion" by Margaux, particularly how Drew ends up having survived and turned into one of Margaux's creations. It would make sense for Margaux to start exploiting the fact they are "connected."
The film could easily do a whole lot of exploring if it was ever decided that there will be a sequel - or a prequel. The backstory behind Margaux could make for some thrilling stories if creators wanted to make a prequel. At the very least, you can bet viewers are going to be keeping a close eye out on Margaux 2's development!
As with many films released through streaming services in 2022, Margaux is a good horror flick with its ups and downs! It features a lot of standard elements of a horror film and includes plenty of twists to make things a bit unpredictable, however, you won't find this to be one of those stories that sends viewers out into the real world filled with dread. There have been mixed reviews, with some saying they weren't entirely impressed, while others found that Margaux was an amazing film and had them captivated. Many critics took note of how Margaux's movie could have had the potential for much better things, yet unfortunately, fell a little short in terms of what could have been. There's not a lot to explore when it comes to criticism regarding the ending specifically but it seems to have left viewers with more questions than they would have preferred! If there's one thing that audiences want more than anything from a film like this - it's an explanation. So if you are one of those that crave a detailed understanding and would prefer less guessing in horror - Margaux might not be the one for you.
If you are searching for an amusing smart home horror, this movie delivers exactly that, with an AI terrorizing students during their spring break and the main characters needing to be much smarter to get out alive - which is never easy to do! Some might think that Margaux didn't have that edge, especially when compared to some other top rated films but one thing that does really give Margaux its charm is how much more relatable it is when compared to other stories on technology like 2001: A Space Odyssey.