Ex Machina
Academy Award × 1
Rent/Purchase
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.
What critics thought
Alex Garland's directorial debut is a tense, cerebral piece of speculative fiction that earned strong praise for its ideas, atmosphere, and the performances of its three-person cast — but a notable minority felt the film betrays itself in the final act, when its carefully sustained intellectual unease gives way to something closer to genre convention. The screenplay, in particular, has been singled out as exceptional work, earning lasting recognition from the Writers Guild.
“Shrewdly imagined and persuasively made, 'Ex Machina' is a spooky piece of speculative fiction that's completely plausible, capable of both thinking big thoughts and providing pulp thrills.”
Kenneth Turan·Los Angeles Times
“It is a rare thing to see a movie about science that takes no prisoners intellectually ... [it] is a stylish, spare and cerebral psycho-techno thriller, which gives a much needed shot in the arm for smart science fiction”
Anil Seth·New Scientist
“While Ex Machina's ending isn't unmotivated [...], it does fracture much of what's special about the movie. Up until the final scenes, Garland creates and sustains a credible atmosphere of unease and scientific speculation, defined by color-coded production design [...] and a tiny, capable cast”
Ignatiy Vishnevetsky·The A.V. Club
“The story ends in a muddled rush, leaving many unanswered questions. Like a newly launched high-end smartphone, Ex Machina looks cool and sleek, but ultimately proves flimsy and underpowered.”
The Hollywood Reporter
Genres
Drama, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Cast & Crew
DirectorAlex Garland
StarringDomhnall Gleeson, Alicia Vikander, Oscar Isaac, Sonoya Mizuno, Corey Johnson
ComposerGeoff Barrow, Ben Salisbury
Ex Machina
Academy Award × 1
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.
What critics thought
Alex Garland's directorial debut is a tense, cerebral piece of speculative fiction that earned strong praise for its ideas, atmosphere, and the performances of its three-person cast — but a notable minority felt the film betrays itself in the final act, when its carefully sustained intellectual unease gives way to something closer to genre convention. The screenplay, in particular, has been singled out as exceptional work, earning lasting recognition from the Writers Guild.
“Shrewdly imagined and persuasively made, 'Ex Machina' is a spooky piece of speculative fiction that's completely plausible, capable of both thinking big thoughts and providing pulp thrills.”
Kenneth Turan·Los Angeles Times
“It is a rare thing to see a movie about science that takes no prisoners intellectually ... [it] is a stylish, spare and cerebral psycho-techno thriller, which gives a much needed shot in the arm for smart science fiction”
Anil Seth·New Scientist
“While Ex Machina's ending isn't unmotivated [...], it does fracture much of what's special about the movie. Up until the final scenes, Garland creates and sustains a credible atmosphere of unease and scientific speculation, defined by color-coded production design [...] and a tiny, capable cast”
Ignatiy Vishnevetsky·The A.V. Club
“The story ends in a muddled rush, leaving many unanswered questions. Like a newly launched high-end smartphone, Ex Machina looks cool and sleek, but ultimately proves flimsy and underpowered.”
The Hollywood Reporter
Genres
Drama, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Cast & Crew
DirectorAlex Garland
StarringDomhnall Gleeson, Alicia Vikander, Oscar Isaac, Sonoya Mizuno, Corey Johnson
ComposerGeoff Barrow, Ben Salisbury
Rent/Purchase