Ex Machina

"There is nothing more human than the will to survive."

Sci-Fi Apr 10, 2015 1h 48m R English

Director: Alex Garland

Cast: Alicia Vikander, Domhnall Gleeson, Oscar Isaac, Sonoya Mizuno

4.6/5

IMDB 7.7

Synopsis

A young programmer is selected to participate in a ground-breaking experiment in synthetic intelligence by evaluating the human qualities of a highly advanced humanoid A.I.

Our Review

Alex Garland's directorial debut is one of the most thoughtful sci-fi films of the 21st century. A three-character chamber drama about the nature of consciousness, gender, and power.

Provocative Ideas

The "Turing test" framing device is clever, but the film goes deeper. Is Ava truly sentient, or is she performing sentience? Is Caleb rescuing her, or being manipulated? By the ending, you're questioning everything you've watched.

Alicia Vikander gives a physically demanding performance as Ava - using her mechanical body to suggest a consciousness both human and alien. Oscar Isaac's disco dance scene became iconic for good reason.