Directed by author and screenwriter, Alex Garland (who wrote "Sunshine" and "28 Days Later"), "Ex Machina" follows a computer programmer, Caleb Smith (Domhnall Gleeson), who was chosen to stay with an online tycoon, Nathan Bateman (Oscar Isaac), for a week at his secluded house up in the mountains. There, Nathan shows Caleb what he has been working on and reveals Ava (Alicia Vikander), an robot capable of human emotions. Nathan then tasks Caleb to do a Turing test on Ava to evaluate her ability to exhibit intelligent and humanlike behavior. Through this test, Caleb soon discovers that Ava is a lot more human than he ever could have imagined, but may just be almost too human.
"Ex Machina" is not a movie. It's a story. It is the story of Boy Meets Android. It is the story of how truly insignificant humanity is. This movie didn't focus on what we think of, or even why we think of things. It focused on how. How do we, as humans, think of our own humanity? How do we function? Instinct, emotion, values, perfectionism, this movie makes the biggest attempt to not really give a certain sensation. It more tests the viewer. It presents you with this certain situation and sees how you interpret it without ever taking notes, acknowledging your feelings, without doing anything. It was phenomenal. The exact tone of the movie turns into the mood of the viewer. It's phenomenal. It felt like a really good college lecture. One that makes you learn without you even knowing.
The film is never as predictable as you think it is. Sure, there are a few points here and there where you will know what happens next. That is true for every film. But not every film can hide the characters' motivations, make you believe they act a certain way for one reason only to pull the rug out from under you multiple times until you don't know what or who to believe anymore. That's amazing storytelling. When it all comes together, you feel complete, even if you could not or would not have guessed how it all ends, because it is a nonstop roller coaster of emotion, deep thought, fascination, and amazement.
While it may be a bit slow compared to other sci-fi films, and it may lack that awe-inspiring, jaw-dropping special effects of most of its peers, Ex Machina is still a leagues smarter (dissect every line and its delivery and you will find themes to think about for the rest of the week), more beautifully directed (an expert debut from Alex Garland - definitely a rising star to bet on), more skillfully acted (Oscar Isaac is his usual revelation, but Domhnall Gleeson and Alicia Vikander are equally worthy and impressive), and more conservatively crafted film that will not disappear into your memory nearly as fast as most science fiction - or any genre of - films.
he acting, the visuals, the music, the story and the writing are the apogee of creativity and brilliance. It is rare for a movie to infuse me with such powerful emotions and thoughts but it does happen, and I am thankful for it. Not only that, it is extremely entertaining. Every scene is essential and no minute is wasted. Every single aspect is believable and authentic, ultimately, this is what makes it work.
The ending itself was perfect, leaving us a lot to think about. The themes explored in this superb film are great in depth and in fact a great challenge. Alex Garland is a newborn genius that triumphed over the task. With a debut such as this, I reckon he will succeed as a director many more times. At least I hope he does and wish him to achieve that from all my heart, although it's probably unnecessary with a talent such as this. When the first trailer for "Ex Machina" dropped online, I found myself getting instantly sucked into this new film due to its aesthetic, cast, and story, so I had pretty high expectations going into the film and I was very impressed.
7.8/10·IMDb
92%·Rotten Tomatoes
78%·Metacritic
8.5/10-Verdict
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