Ex Machina (film)

Ex Machina

British release poster
Directed by Alex Garland
Produced by
Written by Alex Garland
Starring
Music by
Cinematography Rob Hardy
Edited by Mark Day
Production
company
Distributed by A24 Films
Release dates
  • 21 January 2015 (United Kingdom)
  • 10 April 2015 (United States)
Running time
 108 minutes[1]
Country United Kingdom
Language English
Budget €11 million ($16.4 million)
Box office $16.5 million[2]

Ex Machina is a 2015 British science fiction thriller film written and directed by author and screenwriter Alex Garland, making his directorial debut. The film stars Domhnall Gleeson, Alicia Vikander and Oscar Isaac.[3][4]

Plot

Caleb is a young talented programmer working for Bluebook, a very popular search engine company that is an empire. He is chosen by a company lottery to meet and visit the company's CEO, Nathan, at his secluded house in the mountains. Nathan is an eccentric genius whose residence is also a research facility where he has been experimenting on artificial intelligence. The only other person who lives in the compound is his non-English speaking assistant Kyoko, whom Nathan mistreats.

Nathan wants Caleb to spend the week performing a Turing test on a humanoid artificial intelligence named 'Ava', who is a highly advanced android. Nathan explains that in the classical Turing test, the tester is only shown the output of the computer without being told or shown whether the output comes from an artificial intelligence or a human. If the output cannot be distinguished from the behavior of a real human, then the test is passed, and the computer must be considered a sentient being. But in this new test, Nathan is intentionally informing Caleb from the beginning that Ava is an android. If Caleb can still relate to Ava as if she were human, then passing the test will be truly meaningful.

Nathan shows Caleb in his laboratory that Ava's brain is not a traditional digital computer, but a chemical composite matter that learns and develops itself very much like the brain of a human, with a lot of autonomy and independence. In addition, Nathan admits that he underhandedly used the clout of his company to collect data from billions of people, accumulating the most intimate thoughts and emotions of the entire human race, and that he loaded all these experiences to Ava’s brain. Nathan also reveals that Caleb was chosen due to his exceptional abilities and knowledge of artificial intelligence to test how well Ava can be compared to a real human.

Upon meeting Ava, Caleb is instantly fascinated by her uncanny grasp of language and her ability to learn. Caleb gradually develops an attachment to Ava, who appears to have the emotions of a very sophisticated woman. But Ava privately says that Nathan cannot be trusted. Caleb also learns that the androids of Nathan are treated as prisoners in windowless rooms, and an automated security system keeps them confined to the research facility.

During one of the meetings with Ava, she anxiously asks Caleb what will happen if she fails the Turing test of Nathan, which he cannot answer. But later, Nathan tells Caleb that Ava’s memories will be erased if she fails the test, which would be tantamount to killing her. Caleb also notices that Nathan is emotionally abusing Ava. In addition, Caleb learns that even Kyoko, whom he thought was human, is also one of the androids that Nathan treats as a slave. Caleb pities Ava and decides to help her escape from the compound.

Caleb hacks into the security system of the building and rigs it so that all doors will be open when Ava triggers a blackout at a planned moment in the future. Meanwhile, Nathan, who is aware of Caleb’s plans and his emotional relationship with Ava, warns Caleb that Ava does not love him and that she is merely using him for the purpose of escaping from the facility. On this occasion, Nathan informs Caleb that the fact that Ava was able to manipulate Caleb at the emotional level, to the point that he is actually trying to help her escape as if she were human, indicates that Ava passed the stringent Turing test, and that his research is now a historic breakthrough. But Caleb still manages to stay one step ahead of Nathan and a power blackout is triggered, with the security system disabled. When the automatic doors are unlocked, Ava gets out of her room and she attempts to escape. Nathan tries to capture Ava but she kills him even after he breaks one of her arms. Ava borrows components from other android prototypes to repair her arm and to make improvements to her body to acquire the appearance of a perfect human.

After putting on a dress, she silently exits the building, leaving the confused and mortified Caleb locked inside Nathan's office to die, giving him no importance, just as Nathan had warned. Ava is picked up the next morning by the helicopter meant for Caleb, and she begins to integrate herself into human society, following her own interests.

Cast

Production

Filming

The film was shot at Juvet Landscape Hotel[5] in Valldalen, Norway.

Music

The musical score for Ex Machina was composed by Ben Salisbury and Geoff Barrow, who previously worked with Alex Garland on Dredd (2012).[6]

A soundtrack album was released digitally on 20 January 2015, with a LP and Compact Disc UK release in February 2015 by Invada Records.[7]

Release

Ex Machina was released in the United Kingdom on 21 January 2015 through Universal Pictures.[8] The film screened on 14 March 2015 at South by Southwest prior to a theatrical release in the United States on 10 April 2015 by A24 Films.[9][10]

Critical reception

Ex Machina has received critical acclaim.[4] On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a rating of 90%, based on 161 reviews, with an average rating of 8.1/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Ex Machina leans heavier on ideas than effects, but it's still a visually polished piece of work — and an uncommonly engaging sci-fi feature."[11] On Metacritic, the film has a score of 78 out of 100, based on 42 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[12]

The magazine New Scientist in a multi-page review said, "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."[13] IGN reviewer Chris Tilly gave the movie a 9.0 out of 10 'Amazing' score, saying "Anchored by three dazzling central performances, it’s a stunning directorial debut from Alex Garland that’s essential viewing for anyone with even a passing interest in where technology is taking us."[14]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "EX MACHINA (15)". British Board of Film Classification. 26 November 2014. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
  2. ↑ "Ex Machina (2015) - Box Office Mojo". Retrieved 29 April 2015.
  3. ↑ Murphy, Mekado (April 2, 2015). "‘Ex Machina’ Features a New Robot for the Screen". New York Times. Retrieved April 4, 2015.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Dowd, Maureen (April 25, 2015). "Beware Our Mind Children". New York Times. Retrieved April 25, 2015.
  5. ↑ http://www.juvet.com/en
  6. ↑ "Invada UK To Release ‘Ex-Machina’ Soundtrack". 30 October 2014. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  7. ↑ "‘Ex Machina’ Soundtrack Released". Film Music Reporter. 21 January 2015. Retrieved 26 February 2015.
  8. ↑ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0470752/releaseinfo
  9. ↑ "Ex Machina – SXSW 2015 Event Schedule". South by Southwest. Retrieved 26 February 2015.
  10. ↑ "Ex Machina Acquired By A24 For April 2015 Release". 30 October 2014. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  11. ↑ "Ex Machina". Rotten Tomatoes. Flixster. Retrieved 26 April 2015.
  12. ↑ "Ex Machina". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  13. ↑ Anil Seth (24 January 2015). "Consciousness Awakening". New Scientist. Retrieved 27 January 2015.
  14. ↑ Chris Tilly (January 15, 2015). "Ex Machina Review". IGN. Retrieved April 22, 2015.

External links