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Rating: 9/10 (15 February 2015)

So it's January 2015, and a whole host of good films come out just in time for the Oscars​,​ ​h​ow convenient​!​ So in amongst the gushing reviews of Whiplash and The Theory of Everything​, Ex Mahcina sneaked​ in under the radar. Domhnall Gleeson​ plays a geeky programmer Caleb, who wins the chance to spend a week with his boss Nathan (Oscar Isaac​) to meet and interact with an AI he has built called Ava. The film is set in the middle of a remote woodland complex that Nathan has had built for his scientific experiments. We enter the world with our geek friend Caleb who has obviously been selected by Nathan despite the fact he thinks he's just part of a random selection process.
So the premise sounds great but after being bitterly disappointed with Spielberg's AI and turning off Bicentennial man this sub-genre has always been seen as a bit of a naff subject matter. Ex Machina however is truly brilliant. Rather than being a purely Sc-Fi film, it's an in-depth character study of our three main characters which leaves the viewer picking up their jaws from your popcorn filled cinema flaw.
The acting performances are excellent but in particular Oscar Isaac is wonderful playing, well how do I put it nicely - a bit of a dick. He is exactly the opposite of what you think a genius to be. You embark on the deep psychological journey that is heart warming, scary and hugely enjoyable.
Move over i-Robot, ​​m​aybe this sub genre is back?