Good Philosophy, but Predictable

Rating: 7/10 (30 August 2015)

Ex Machina, like so many science-fiction movies before it, touches on the idea of what it means to be human, and where the line is drawn between human and artificial intelligence. While its aesthetic is solid, great general storytelling was lacking at certain points.
The concept is interesting - it basically revolves around a novice programmer (Domhnall Gleeson) mistakenly falling for an android which possesses female characteristics. When we get deeper into what Nathan (Oscar Isaac) is really doing, the plot strays towards a revelation which I did not find too surprising. Not only is the revelation predictable, but it is not that interesting altogether because it strays from Nathan's supposed global ambitions to what feels to be personal insecurities.
It seems strange to me that this film has a very claustrophobic feel to it since it takes place primarily in one location, which contradicts the fact that Nathan's experimenting will result in global benefits (not to mention he basically uses the world as a research method).
What succeeded in the film was tackling the questions of artificial intelligence and whether or not it could ever have consciousness. Mad scientist Nathan is trying to build a being that can preserve itself, and the question on whether he is successful is indeed answered at the film's conclusion. It is also interesting that this film discusses thinking and the two programmers are practicing metacognition in the film - thinking about thinking. As far as the artificial intelligence goes, it is very thought-provoking to study towards the film's conclusion whether the character Ava should be considered a protagonist, an antagonist, or something completely different.
This film held my interest, and while good philosophy was discussed from time to time in Ex Machina, it was not a very exciting film and multiple aspects of the film seemed a bit dull.
2.5/4.0