When thinking about what made the M3GAN franchise such a hit, I’d argue it’s, well, M3GAN herself. After all, if not for her uncanny valley face, her sassy attitude, and creepy dance moves, there’s no way she would have ever become a TikTok sensation before even landing in theaters. Of course, add to the compelling nature of M3GAN was the story of AI taking control over our lives, whether we wanted it to or not, the campy sense of humor, and talented filmmakers, and it’s much easier to see the movies were hits (well, the first one was a hit and the second one was just as good, but it bombed). The announcement of spin-off SOULM8TE confused many of us, as it was billed as an R-rated erotic thriller and wouldn’t feature M3GAN, and the reveal that the movie was skipping theaters and going straight to Digital was concerning. Despite this release pivot understandably being cause for concern, I can confirm SOULM8TE works just as well as M3GAN, thanks to its lead trio of stars.

Set in the world of M3GAN, which makes some of the more outlandish tech elements feel believable, David (David Rysdahl) works for a robotics company, but ever since his wife passed, he works almost entirely remotely. His company was acquired by a burgeoning tech firm that offers a complementary chatbot to all its employees. Feeling like he has no one to talk to, David starts communicating with a chatbot he named SARA, with these conversations being his only respite from loneliness. His company also announces SOULM8TE, which can sync the chatbot to a lifelike robot, which David volunteers to beta test. David syncs his SARA with the robot (Lily Sullivan), but the actual robot seems too…robotic. After hacking some code, he makes her more lifelike, which also removes safety protocols, and she, well, goes to violent lengths to protect herself and secure David’s love.

Given how many real-world stories we see on a regular basis about people developing bizarre and intimate relationships with AI chatbots, the premise itself feels entirely too believable. While it’s terrifying to think that real-world people are sacrificing genuine human connection for AI relationships, it’s hard to argue with the appeal of a computing system fulfilling your every desire, especially if it’s learning things about you that you never realized you desired. What makes the first act of the movie work so well is Rysdahl’s performance; he’s an incredibly sympathetic figure and, given the tragedy of his backstory, we don’t judge him for finding comfort any way he can, even if that means talking to a robot. Additionally, in a day and age of app-driven romantic relationships, the line between talking to an actual human by text vs. talking to an algorithm is incredibly blurred.

While part of M3GAN’s charm was how weird she looked, Sullivan’s depiction of SARA is entirely different, because she looks like, you know, a pretty lady. As we watch SARA attempt to learn what it means to be human, Sullivan’s performance comes across like Natasha Henstridge in Species, Scarlett Johansson in Under the Skin, or Alicia Vikander in Ex Machina (honestly, there are dozens of movies like this, but you get the point). Her physicality is devoid of humanity when necessary, which can amplify the effectiveness of the scenes where we have sympathy for her never being able to take the place of a real woman, or we become terrified of her because she doesn’t realize how psychotic her programming is. Claudia Doumit also stars in the movie as Aubrey, David’s coworker who has a burgeoning relationship with him, who shows warmth and sympathy towards David, even when she realizes what’s really going on with SARA.

SOULM8TE doesn’t have quite the same campy humor as the M3GAN movies, yet it also doesn’t take itself entirely seriously (luckily, characters within the movie make fun of the name “SOULM8TE” and the confusing placement of the 8). Given that this is rated R, the few sequences of violence are definitely more gruesome, and when SARA takes some battle damage, the visuals are a bit more unsettling. If you’re a M3GAN fan who wished the movies pushed the envelope a bit more, then SOULM8TE effectively takes things to a new level.

Even though Rysdahl and Sullivan make the movie totally watchable, the movie unfolds exactly how you’d expect. I’d say that this is ultimately what holds SOULM8TE back from being memorable in any real sense, as it fully delivers everything you’d expect it to; nothing more, nothing less. We know from their first on-screen exchange that Aubrey will pose a threat to SARA and that SARA will consider Aubrey an enemy. We know that SARA’s programming will malfunction and she’ll use her integrated operating system to lock doors or activate self-driving cars. Whereas M3GAN worked because of the inherent absurdity of the premise, SOULM8TE is more effective for being a lot closer to reality than we’d like to admit.

If the idea of a killer sexbot wreaking havoc in a variety of ways on a vulnerable and grieving widow is up your alley, then SOULM8TE will deliver everything you’re hoping for. If you’ve thought, “Hmm, I bet I know exactly where this movie will go and look forward to the surprises it has to offer,” then you’ll be left disappointed. I fall somewhere in the middle, but as someone who possibly liked M3GAN 2.0 more than the original, if only for how it changed genres, I can at least support this franchise exploring weirder new tones, potentially inspiring future Black Mirror-esque explorations of our reliance on AI.

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