2014’s Ex Machina delivers an eerily prescient film that addresses many dilemmas we currently face with technology while also telling a dramatic tale that engages the viewer.
What Is It?
This movie begins as programmer Caleb Smith, who works for the very Google-like company Blue Book, learns that he has won a one-week trip to the home of the company’s reclusive CEO, Nathan Bateman. Once Caleb arrives there, he finds that Nathan has built a very human-like robot whom he has named Ava. This robot has already passed a Turing test—which determines a machine’s ability to exhibit intelligent behavior—and Nathan wants Caleb to continue to test it to prove that it truly possesses artificial intelligence. But through the process, Caleb starts to develop feelings for Ava. And when he learns that Nathan plans on upgrading her, which will wipe out her current personality, he decides to try and save her current version from being destroyed.
Cast: Domhnall Gleeson, Alicia Vikander, Oscar Isaac
Crew: Alex Garland (Writer/Director), Andrew Macdonald (Executive Producer)
Original Release: 2014
Legacy:
This genre sleeper is not well known by the wider audience, but in the tradition of the best science fiction movies, it uses its sci-fi elements to address challenges and moral dilemmas we face in our current social setting.
A Closer Look:
This movie was written by Alex Garland (28 Days Later, Annihilation), and it was his directorial debut. He does an excellent job with both the script and helming the film, and delivers what I believe should be counted as a new classic among science fiction movies. The pacing is slow but never plodding as the story unfolds carefully, and it does not proceed quite how you may expect. And I am trying to be as spoiler-free in this review as possible because the film has plenty of twists and turns, which are what truly make it into a great movie.
It’s no accident that Nathan’s company is analogous to Google, because the film addresses issues that impact us due to the rise of tech giants like that company and others. Artificial intelligence is definitely one of the moral quandaries tackled, but also the constant monitoring and surveillance, as well as the extensive data collected on all of us who use their products. In the tradition of the best science fiction tales, this movie looks at how technology impacts us, with all of the dilemmas that entails. And that sinks in pretty hard when Caleb comes to an important realization later in the film (again, no spoilers).
The cast is minimal, with four actors taking up the vast majority of the screen time. Oscar Isaac, who plays Nathan, went on to play Poe Dameron in the Star Wars films, but the other three actors are not well known in the States. Still, they are more than up to the challenge of carrying this film and work quite well as an ensemble. Isaac probably has the most dominating presence, especially early on, but Alicia Vikander as Ava ends up stealing plenty of scenes, particularly toward the end.
The special effects are nothing short of excellent, though judiciously used. The majority of the visual effects are used on Ava’s machine body, and these are flawless. But unlike the typical Hollywood blockbuster, this film does not give us an excess of CGI, nor does it live and die on its visuals alone. Ex Machina has a carefully crafted script that employs good sfx to take it to that next level, but the story and the actors are what truly set it apart. It is not a mega-budget film delivering non-stop action and CGI overload. It is a much more somber piece that uses its science fiction premise to raise questions very important to our present social situation, as well as the direction we are heading. That’s what good sci-fi movies do.
Why Was There No Sequel?
This film did not quite count as a box office hit, making $25.4 million in the States and a total of $37.4 million globally vs. a budget of $15 million. But it did not count as a flop either, and it has since gone on to become somewhat of a cult favorite. But it was intended as a stand-alone movie, and Alex Garland does not typically do sequels. And even though Ava’s fate after the ending invites speculation, the story of the three main characters has a thematic and emotional resolution, leaving it on a satisfying note.
Should It Be Rebooted?
No. It is far too early to talk reboot in the first place, and this film is nearly flawless, so there is no reason to ever consider a redo. It counts as a sci-fi classic—even if it does not get much recognition—and should be left alone.
Interesting Facts:
Ex Machina received plenty of accolades during awards season, and it won quite a number of trophies as well including on Oscar for Best Visual Effects as well as Best Director, Best Screenplay, and Best British Independent Film from the British Independent Film Awards. You can see its the list of nominations and wins as this link.
According to Alex Garland, the film takes place “ten minutes from now”. He explained that to mean: “If somebody like Google or Apple announced tomorrow that they had made Ava, we would all be surprised, but we wouldn’t be that surprised”.
Where Can You Watch It?
The film has bee released on DVD, Blu-ray and 4KUHD , and it is also available to purchase VOD. It is not currently available for streaming.
