Quiet, Brutal, and Suspenseful

Rating: 9/10 (17 October 2016)

Ex Machina is one of the best Sci-fi films I have ever seen. It takes the genre into new and scary waters by mixing the noir intrigue of films like Blade Runner, with a philosophical thriller about machines place in our society. It asks great questions that make you think about whether AI live with us or whether you would know if you yourself are an AI. Somehow it does all this in a quiet location that is both beautiful and eerily agoraphobic, but like the Stanley Kubrick classic The Shining. The camera work is interesting and unique among the sci-fi genre. The editing is well done and splits the film into different parts, signified by the sessions with Ava. The acting is superb. Oscar Isaac is wonderful and unnerved showing his breadth of talent from the likes of Star Wars. Alicia Vikander brings so much life to Ava while also providing machinery to the role without her movements feeling cheesy or contrived. Domhall Gleeson ties the other two together by letting his performance fit the role, not dominating the screen when need be, but building his performance as the plot moves forward. The visual effects of this film are amazing and blend so well with the rest of the world. There is a sensual nature to the way the robots feel that works so well with the rest of the production design. All in all this is an amazing film that any fan of science fiction or philosophy should deeply enjoy.