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Ex Machina (2014)

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2:05 | Trailer
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.

Director:

Alex Garland

Writer:

Alex Garland
Reviews
Popularity
491 ( 65)

Alicia Vikander Through the Years

Take a look back at the career of Alicia Vikander on and off the big screen.

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Won 1 Oscar. Another 71 wins & 154 nominations. See more awards »

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Cast

Complete credited cast:
Domhnall Gleeson ... Caleb
Alicia Vikander ... Ava
Oscar Isaac ... Nathan
Sonoya Mizuno ... Kyoko
Corey Johnson ... Jay
Claire Selby Claire Selby ... Lily
Symara A. Templeman Symara A. Templeman ... Jasmine (as Symara Templeman)
Gana Bayarsaikhan ... Jade
Tiffany Pisani Tiffany Pisani ... Katya
Elina Alminas ... Amber (as Lina Alminas)
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Storyline

Caleb, a 26 year old programmer 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. Written by DNA FILMS

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Taglines:

To erase the line between man and machine is to obscure the line between men and gods See more »


Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for graphic nudity, language, sexual references and some violence | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »
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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

24 April 2015 (USA) See more »

Also Known As:

Ex Machina See more »

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Box Office

Budget:

$15,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$237,264, 12 April 2015

Gross USA:

$25,442,958

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$36,869,414
See more on IMDbPro »

Company Credits

Show more on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | SDDS | Datasat

Color:

Black and White (some shots)| Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1
See full technical specs »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

This film has many similarities with The Machine (2013), starting with the title, ("The Machine" vs. "Ex Machina"), the plot, and the female robot named "Ava." See more »

Goofs

When Ava and Kyoko meet in the corridor, there are masks on the wall. At the end of the scene, the masks are gone. See more »

Quotes

[first lines]
Caleb: How long until we get to his estate?
Pilot: [laughs] We've been flying over his estate for the past 2 hours.
See more »

Connections

References The Stepford Wives (1975) See more »

Soundtracks

Bunsen Burner
Written by Anthony Tombling Jr. (as Anthony Tombling Jnr.)
Performed by CUTS
Produced by CUTS
Licensed from Invada Records UK
Published by Sentric Music UK
See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

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User Reviews

 
Very involving bit of pure sci-fi
25 January 2015 | by Red-BarracudaSee all my reviews

A reclusive CEO of a leading technology company hires a young whiz kid who works for him to test his latest development, a highly advanced android called Ava. Specifically he is tasked with using the Turing test on her to establish if her AI is sufficiently convincing to pass as human.

Despite contributing several scripts for the screen, this is writer Alex Garland's first directorial effort. It's a hard sci-fi movie which examines concepts and ideas above everything else. That's not to say it isn't dramatic or even thrilling because it is both of those things as well but the focus is squarely on the science fiction speculation, and this is a very welcome thing. The central concept that it examines is artificial intelligence. How we interact with AI as humans, as well as how a seductive machine could in turn manipulate us. The very well written script poses philosophical questions such as is there moral or immoral ways to treat AI. It also considers if sometimes part of being human is that we sometimes subconsciously want to be fooled by an illusion, if it is attractive enough.

In many ways Ex Machina resembles last years Under the Skin. Both feature highly advanced female non-humans. In the earlier film Scarlett Johansson played an alien, here Alicia Vikander plays an android. While the very small cast all acquit themselves very well, it is Vikander who stands out in the film's most challenging role. It's a nuanced performance that captures the fine balance between the human-like and machine. Not only this but the marvellous special effects compliment this performance to create a very distinctive character. Aside from the effects, this is probably quite a modestly budgeted film, as the small little-known cast and limited sets suggest. But these restrictions have been used to the films advantage, as the unknown cast surprise more given little is known of them and the restricted setting gives off a claustrophobic feel which works well, while forcing us to focus in even more on the ideas being put in front of us. A scene setting ambient soundtrack additionally creates just the right off-kilter mood to accentuate the events. But it's ultimately the very good writing that underpins the success of this film. All-in-all, very impressive science fiction for those who appreciate the genre's more cerebral side.


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