2014's Science Fiction Paragon

Rating: 9/10 (13 October 2019)

Ex Machina is a science fiction film that continues the conversation about the consciousness of Machines. The film offers an obscure answer to the question, while also presenting a dialogue that many are not privy to. With humanity's present reliance on technology, this film showcases the dangers and luxuries that are married to technology.
Ex Machina stars Domhnall Gleeson, Oscar Isaac, Alicia Vikander, and Sonoya Mizuno. Gleeson plays Caleb, and incredibly gullible coder for Blue Book (a tech based company that mirrors Google). Isaac portrays Nathan, the CEO of Blue Book. Alicia Vikander portrays AVA, the A.I within the film. In Ex Machina, Nathan invites Caleb to test the consciousness of AVA. As the film progresses, Caleb and AVA become close at the discretion of Nathan. Gleeson is the film's low point. His portrayal of Caleb has nothing going for it. The character is inherently generic, and he doubles down on this by having a generic portrayal. Vikander's portrayal of AVA is unnatural in a natural sense. She captures the consciousness of an A.I and a human, in a way that feels like a successful hybrid of the two. Isaac's portrayal of Nathan is great. The character's stone cold intellect is a saving grace of this film. He plays God, while having the flaws of a human. Caleb and AVA serve as Adam and Eve in this technological revamped telling of the Garden of Eden.
The story is intricate and well told. Every detail is explained within the film. Ex Machina leaves large room for interpretation on even the slightest details. Visually, the movie is stunning. The technology within the film looks incredibly real. The setting is believable as well. In having a small budget Ex Machina outmatches the Blockbusters of its time. Ex Machina feels authentic from start to finish.
Overall, Ex Machina is an intricate film that adds a lot of depth to philosophical conversations, as well as the Science Fiction genre. The film holds relevance to the present Zeitgeist. Ex Machina is a timeless film that showcases the best parts of science fiction.