Disturbing thriller

Rating: 9/10 (2 February 2015)

Caleb, (Domhnall Gleeson), is a youthful, mild-mannered programmer for a large internet search engine, Bluebook. He wins a company-wide prize to spend a week at the secluded home of the reclusive CEO of Bluebook, the laddish, slightly older Nathan, (Oscar Isaac), who likes his alcohol.
On arrival, Caleb discovers his prize is to apply a Turing Test over seven days to Nathan's invention, an AI named Ava, (Alicia Vikander). He soon finds his stay loaded with doubt and desire as he is manipulated both by Nathan and the machine, and ends up under-estimating both of them.
Director Alex Garland has fashioned a thought-provoking and disturbing film that examines some of the largest and oldest questions asked by humanity; what is it to be human? What is intelligence? Can people be gods? The conversations in which these and other concepts are explored were wordy but never dull or patronising. There was always enough of an edge to Nathan's character to make me wonder if he was playing a drunken lout just to trip Caleb up. Caleb found himself walking an increasingly unsteady tightrope as Ava drip-fed him information and revelations which led to the film's unpleasant and, I'm sad to say, slightly anti-climactic conclusion.
I thought the acting was good and the script absorbing. The pace may not have been fast but was fine for the film to get its points across. I liked the contrast between the claustrophobic, minimalist house and the natural splendour that surrounded it. The lighting and cinematography were very good.
This is a well-made and thoughtful film that made me wonder why at least a little morality wasn't programmed into Ava. Nathan's wordless servant Kyoko was self-aware, and Ava was the next step along, with her need for self-preservation, but she is not the final step. That will come when AIs feel responsible for their actions, but that is another story.