Ex Machina
Chris's take
As a psychological slow-burn, that is at its heart a meditation on Artificial Intelligence and consciousness itself, this film sets up numerous philosophical questions concerning cutting-edge science and technology that will only become more relevant in the coming years. Whilst the isolated setting and eerie atmosphere amplifies the intensity of the psychological tension, the film explores the intricate nuances of what it means to be truly sentient, forcing you to examine your own perspective on the boundaries of human consciousness and the implications of creating artificially intelligent beings. The foremost criticism would be that some aspects of the plot are a little contrived, but if you are the sort of viewer that is willing to suspend disbelief to arrive at the allegorical conclusion, you will most likely be fascinated and left in deep thought by this one.
Director
Alex Garland
Cast
Domhnall Gleeson
Caleb
Alicia Vikander
Ava
Oscar Isaac
Nathan
Sonoya Mizuno
Kyoko
Corey Johnson
Jay
Claire Selby
Lily
Symara A. Templeman
Jasmine
Gana Bayarsaikhan
Jade
Plot overview
Caleb, a coder at the world's largest internet company, wins a competition to spend a week at a private mountain retreat belonging to Nathan, the reclusive CEO of the company. But when Caleb arrives at the remote location he finds that he will have to participate in a strange and fascinating experiment in which he must interact with the world's first true artificial intelligence, housed in the body of a beautiful robot girl.