Ex Machina (2014)

 

Genre: Sci-fi/ Thriller

Time: 1h 50mins

Director: Alex Garland

Quick Summary: 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.

I guess I'm a little disappointed after hearing all the hype around this.

I think the plot is simple, and I was expecting more to it. It wasn't all that Thrilling really. There are a lot of dull moments and scenes that just go on for way too long.

Another fault is that a lot of the characters are incredibly underdeveloped, and really the only interesting one was actually Nathan. I wanted to hear more from him and his mind. Not watching him stumble around drunk for most of the film. Being there were only 3 characters that spoke in this, I'm shocked they didn't give a lot of dialogue to them or go deeper into their characters. Really it only scratches the surface.

Visually it's very pretty and the special effects are so well done, especially with the AI itself. As well as the aesthetic of this whole thing, it screams modernised science fiction. It's sleek and smooth. Lots of the landscape and background establishing shots are very pretty with beautiful greenery and mountains.

Sadly, a lot of the science stuff is never really fully explained and is chosen to be kept secret after the initial set-up. Which honestly really bugged me as I really wanted more depth to this.  

I was looking forward to watching this movie, it had everything I usually enjoy from looking at it; a well-crafted story, attention to detail, and an interesting and thought-provoking concept. However, I was disappointed through actually watching it and by how the film crumbles in the final third. The story becomes predictable and dull. Although there are some intriguing twists (that are honestly pretty predictable nowadays), the final battle seems out of place with the rest of the movie.

Basically, take this as an introduction to AI-focused Science fiction. It is enjoyable, but you're not going to be mind-blown. The set-up is incredibly good and the introduction to all the characters, but it's just weak in a lot of places.

6/10

"Caleb: What were you doing with Ava?

Nathan: What?

Caleb: You tore up her picture.

Nathan: I'm gonna tear up the fucking dance floor, dude. Check it out."