A thought provoking and visually striking science fiction masterpiece

Rating: 10/10 (10 July 2015)

I must say that I am very impressed with this film.
The story, while it bares a familiar concept concerning "artificial intelligence", is unique, creative, original and intriguing. We have this programmer named Caleb, who is invited by Nathan, the CEO of the company, which Caleb works for. Then there is this robot called "Ava". I cannot really say anything about the plot without spoiling it but the majority of the film is set inside a compound.
While it has a small number of characters, the characters are quite well developed. I as good chemistry between Caleb and Ava. There is not much to say about Nathan without spoiling it, but let's just say that he is not a terribly nice guy.
The film is quite well acted. Domhnall Gleeson and Oscar Isaac portrayed their roles very well and Alicia Vikander stole the show as Ava the robot.
Alex Garland did a very good job directing. It is beautifully shot and it has neat scenery. For a small budget of $15 million, the special effects are quite impressive. They did a nice job blending CGI with practical effects and making the robot believable. It also has some intense moments and the final act is awesome.
The music score is great and added some depth into the film. Ben Salisbury and Geoff Barrow both did a very good job composing the music.
Basically, this is one of those films that you have to actually watch and see for yourself to know what it's about.
Overall, Ex Machina is an excellent science fiction thriller, and I would highly recommend it to anyone who is a fan of science fiction.