Thursday, April 23, 2015

Ex Machina (2015)

Written and Directed by Alex Garland
Starring Domhnall Gleeson, Alicia Vikander, Oscar Isaac and Sonoya Mizuno

A young programmer is selected to participate in a breakthrough experiment in artificial intelligence by evaluating the human qualities of a breathtaking female A.I.


An eerie and unsettling science fiction film, "Ex Machina" is quite a unique film. We have seen countless films about the dangers of artificial intelligence and robotic uprisings, but I cannot think of a single film that shows the beginning. With the distrust of robots many movie goers, or at least myself have gained from decades of robotic dystopian futures displayed in film, there is a tension caused not by the film itself, but a natural, internal tension we have been bred to feel with movies such as this.

In a film that I felt so sure of what was going on, I constantly doubted myself and would flip-flop between theories and the paranoia that the protagonist felt. Ava, the A.I. that the protagonist is hired to study, is so charming, yet creates a sense of unease that you can't shake no matter how smitten you are with her emotions.

The director did an magnificent job at creating doubt in the minds of the audience. With the remote setting, and the military-like fortress in which they reside imposed a feeling of claustrophobia, even when they were outdoors.


Films such as this are difficult to write about. There is so much to be said, but most of it is impossible to explain without giving away key information about the film. I guess I'll just end this with saying that this film is unreal.

My Rating: 9/10


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