Ex Machina

Ex Machina (2015)

*** 1/2 (out of 4)

A different sort of science fiction film, a programmer (Domhnall Gleeson) wins what is basically a lottery to go and spend a week with his company's owner (Oscar Isaac). The owner, Nathan, pretty much created a search engine but he's gone a step further by creating an artificial intelligent woman named Ava (Alicia Vikander) who the programmer is supposed to examine and question.

EX MACHINA pretty much came out of nowhere and became a good hit across the world and I'm rather shocked that it did. Usually dumb science fiction movies with a lot of mindless actions are the ones that make money and not those that features very little to no action and instead just dialogue and thought. What really sets this film apart is the fact that it asks more questions than anything else and it expects the viewer to think about those questions and the impact that certain actions could have.

The visual style of the film is quite impressive and it's certainly a very interesting film to just look at. The music score is quite haunting and perfectly captures the mood of the film. There's the terrific cinematography that pulls you into the setting. The special effects are also extremely impressive. I loved the set and the look of this compound but the special effects are the real star. If you didn't believe that you were really looking at and operating with real artificial intelligent creatures then the entire film just wouldn't have the same feeling.

Then there are the performances, which are a major plus. Gleeson pretty much plays the role that is typically a nerd but the film never lowers the character to that simple term and instead makes him a very interesting person. Even the role of the billionaire played by Isaac isn't what you'd typically see and the actor brings a certainly coldness to the part. Vikander is flawless and steals the picture in her role.

EX MACHINA certainly won't be a movie for everyone but it's good to think about the questions that it asks.