And God Created Ava

Rating: 8/10 (17 August 2015)

Stories about artificial intelligence (or at least the ones I've seen) most usually focus on the moral implications of those who create it. Are we entitled to wear the mantle of a god, and if we are, what is our obligation to the things we create?
"Ex Machina" is a unique addition to the genre, because it flips the question: what moral obligations (if any) inform the responses of man's creations, and are we prepared for the consequences if we create intelligence without a sense of right and wrong?
The fear that our technology will some day turn on us is not a new one and hasn't been since the dawn of storytelling. But this film manages to mine some new and interesting ideas from the same general premise. Ava is an artificial being created by a sort of mad scientist (Oscar Isaac). A programmer who works for the scientist (Domhnall Gleeson) wins the chance to spend a week at his reclusive complex and interact with Ava as a sort of test to see how convincing she is. A cat and mouse game ensues between the scientist and programmer as the latter decides he needs to liberate Ava from captivity. What neither takes into consideration is Ava's ruthlessness and willingness to do whatever she needs to do to gain her freedom.
"Ex Machina" plays out slowly and creepily, heightening the tension by gradual degrees. It's not a totally satisfying movie if you begin to think about it too much -- many details feel thrown in to service the plot rather than because they feel right for the story, not the least of which is how quickly Gleeson's character becomes infatuated enough with Ava to want to run off with her. But if you're willing to suspend disbelief a bit, the film offers an unusually intelligent and cerebral compliment to the glut of technology-run-amok films on the market.
Grade: A-