Cerebrally challenging and entrancing in its visual scope, Ex Machina is a powerful sci-fi showcase with spellbinding gravity

Rating: 9/10 (22 October 2017)

As physicist Stephen Hawking once said, artificial intelligence could draw an end to mankind. That, however, is just a theory of the hazards when technology drastically surpasses human intelligence. This concept is solidly aligned in this psychological science- fiction thriller featuring Alex Garland, writer of '28 Days Later', in his directorial debut, a movie that takes artificial intelligence and places at the forefront of its story that defies against common tropes of its genre. With Garland's hefty directorial hand, this movie bears no place for heavy special-effects action-set pieces and instead, runs wild with thought-provoking ideas on human interaction with artificial intelligence and the dangers that rise when augmenting human smarts with cutting-edge technology. In this case, Garland doesn't hold back when challenging viewers at a cerebral level nor does he take sleek visual storytelling for granted. He just lets it unfold. This film follows Caleb (played by Domhall Gleeson), a 26-year old computer programmer of an internet company who is selected to participate in an experiment on artificial intelligence run by larger-than-life business CEO Nathan (played by Oscar Isaac). This experiment places him face-to-face with an intelligent humanoid Ava (played by Alicia Vikander) who bears a robotic body and a human face. While competing with her in a Turing Test in evaluate her human qualities, the experiment steadily grows more and more surreal when Ava reveals to much more human than both Caleb and Nathan imagine.
One thing to say for sure is that this film will not hold appeal for those craving for pulse-pounding, nor will it engage with viewers who lack the patience of a slow-paced narrative. The film moves very slow as it dedicates a great portion of its time building upon its characters and reeling in scientific ideas about artificial intelligence that dare to challenge the minds of its audience. Alex Garland is the mastermind behind the script which allows the characters grow in a manner that leaves viewers questioning each step they take and their psychology that grows when the experiment takes for surreal turn. Morals are tested, lives are at stake, and the fate of the characters are dedicated by the dubious choice of actions. The psychological aspect comes from the interaction between Caleb and Ava as they are monitored by Nathan who bears profoundly questionable intentions. By no means is there is a clear answer to his moral obligations. Is he a man trying to revolutionize technology for the good? Or is he a manipulator who is just a few step away from letting technology run amok for the sake of dominating humankind? Viewers will be divided on this. And Oscar Isaac brings a poignant delivery as the morally skeptical God- like engineer. But perhaps it may not beneath to compete with Alicia Vikander who's pose as the humanoid Ava dominates the atmosphere, which is solidly supported by the eerie music score by Geoff Barrow and Ben Salisbury. Domhall Gleeson is strong in his role, which bears a performance that sadly trumps over the bearing interest of his credulous character.
Ex Machina is an uncompromising science-fiction showcase succeeds not just on entertaining, but challenging audiences on an intellectual level while lending a hand on a powerful visual methodology. This movie sets a remarkable start on Alex Garland in the directorial world, and above all, demands the attention of those who bear the patience of its sophisticated plot and a wild delivery of scientific intelligence is prepared to throw at them.