Just needed some better pacing

Rating: 6/10 (24 October 2016)

The general rule in Hollywood is that the more CGI you have in your film the less thought-provoking it is going to be (or is intended to be at least). 'Ex Machina' seems to be the exception. It won Best Achievement in Visual Effects at the Academy Awards this year, and when you look back at the list of past winners of that award, it's a clear sign of quality. I usually find I love thought-provoking films, particularly ones with an added element of mystery to them. So I'm not entirely sure why 'Ex Machina' fell a bit flat for me. I kept wanting things to up the ante, but the film seemed comfortable staying on the one level for the most part. A character would mention that another characters was not what they seemed and it appeared things were about to kick off, only for the film to almost ignore this piece of dialogue and return to its lifeless existence.
I certainly didn't hate the film, it just wasn't all it could have been. It contains a very strong ending where things do all come to a head. We get some answers, and other things are left ambiguous. The ending is undoubtedly strong and adds a lot of quality to the overall product. The acting is strong throughout and the visual effects are unquestionably of a very high standard. It's a film that requires some patience, and if you have that you will be rewarded in the end.