Aspirational but....

Rating: 8/10 (23 May 2015)

Ex Machina aspires to much but in the end achieves less than it set out to.
This film is well structured, capably acted and directed. Its a polished production and its by no means a poor film. The reality, however, is its not really doing anything with its story line that has not been done more competently before. The underlying message of the threat technology poses to humanity, especially intelligent technology, is hardly new and really did not need to be reiterated.
Worse still, this films somewhat clinical treatment of the relationship between a man made sentient being and its human counterparts tends to detract from the humanity of the story. The overall effect then is to lessen the psychological impact of this rather predictable tale, as it unfolds.
In summary Ex Machina is "definitely" worth your time, just don't expect the emotional connection to be found in films like Blade Runner and others similar titles in this sci fi sub genre. Eight out of ten from me.