Thoughtful and meticulously constructed

Rating: 8/10 (21 August 2015)

What a delight to see a thoughtful, meticulously constructed sci-fi film that does not rely on special effects and explosions for its success.
Set amidst a visceral wilderness, the cerebral Nathan (Oscar Isaac), CEO of a high the company, has built a remote laboratory to explore AI. Employee Caleb (Domhnall Gleeson) wins the opportunity to test it. What unfolds is an exploration of what makes us human.
Some may find the pace slow, others will relish that writer and director Alex Garland uses every shot and every second to communicate and build his message.
Nathan's persona is in counterpoint to his position, his technological brilliance harnessed to an obsession with sex, bodies, and hedonism. The cinematography is lush, the vast brooding open wilderness in brutal juxtaposition with the claustrophobic, sealed laboratory where the action takes place.
The dialogue is sharp, the plotting always one step in front of the obvious. But Garland does not pitch this as a didactic tale on the perils of AI, it is not a seminar, more like a friend inviting you round for a beer and asking "what if?"