Robot psychological thriller

Rating: Null/10 (20 July 2015)

Ex Machina is an excellent example on how to do a science fiction movie with a smaller budget, now that CGI has evolved enough that it's easy to do convincing special effects without spending millions and millions.
Caleb Smith (Domhnall Gleeson) is a programmer working for Bluebook, sort of a amalgamation of the futuristic reach of Google and the social media of Facebook, lead by a prodigal genius Nathan Bateman (Oscar Isaac), whose long-held dream is to be the first to develop a true artificial intelligence. But how to prove such a thing actually has sentience? At which point is it clear that the robot (Alicia Vikander) is actually thinking and not just utilizing a complex program of coded responses? That's where Caleb steps in and our story begins.
What really sets Ex Machina apart from so many other science fiction movies is its style and genre. It's a psychological thriller, there's very little action and the focus is on the mystery, the mood and the atmosphere. This makes this a very refreshing movie to watch if you're looking for a change. Especially because the three main characters are all very interesting and played by talented actors.
The reason why I didn't rate this film any higher is because I found the actual plot to be somewhat predictable. It was a good plot, but I was only surprised once, and even then not that much. Which is a problem, but not a deal breaker. At least for me. Plus I've watched a ton of science fiction in my lifetime, so I had something of a home advantage.
What would have made Ex Machina a masterpiece is that it should have had a plot that truly did something different with the A.I. subgenre. Now it's merely a very good example of it and definitely worth checking out if you're looking for a film that's more about the morality of technology rather than the coolness of it.