Netflix A-Z: Ex Machina (2015)

My lovely co-hosts have been talking a lot about Ex Machina.  Melissa (The Creative Fox Den) even listed it as the best movie of 2015.  What better time than to give it a go for the series E selection, right? I know nothing about this one other than its about an AI and obviously, a sci-fi movie.

Let’s check it out! 🙂

Ex Machina (2015)

Director (and written): Alex Garland

Cast: Alicia Vikander, Domhnall Gleeson, Oscar Isaac, Sonoyo Mizuno

A young programmer is selected to participate in a groundbreaking experiment in artificial intelligence by evaluating the human qualities of a breathtaking female A.I.-IMDB

Before we start into the actual review, I’d like to say that I haven’t seen a lot of movies on artificial intelligence. While it is a really cool idea, its not one that really intrigues all that much.  Maybe its because I haven’t seen a lot of sci-fi movies to begin with.  I’ve seen the normal few and its been a long while since I’ve seen one.  However, with all the raving reviews about Ex Machina, it was one that intrigued me immensely. I’m going to be super honest here and say that I haven’t seen the cast in this very frequently.  So, that is also quite unfamiliar to me. I’ll talk more about the cast later.

With that said, Ex Machina blew my mind! I mean, it was really great.  I was at the edge of my seat extremely thrilled but feeling the intensity of the all characters and just the vibes they were giving out whether there was something else hidden between the lines.  It was a crazy build-up.  I have to say that they built the story for us to really hint towards how it would end but the little details and the simple shots and layouts from the design of where they were to the AI played by Alicia Vikander called Ava who is going through the test, it was so real.  She was done so well to make us believe she was really human despite seeing her robotic features. Its not even how they designed and portrayed her but just how Alicia Vikander interpreted Ava that makes us feel drawn to her as we explore whether she passes the test or not. It was an outstanding performance!

I can’t really just compliment her though.  Oscar Isaacs is absolutely fantastic here.  It really defines him as a powerhouse actor that deserves a lot of attention and maybe some much bigger and complex roles.  He is a really smart guy here that created the whole AI.  He had a peculiar attitude and his mood was a little weird and there was also a constant feeling of mystery around him.  It seemed like there was something else he was trying to get and at the same time, he was extremely manipulative towards the young man he hired to test out Ava called Caleb played by Domhnall Gleeson.  This guy was in Harry Potter as one of the Weasley brothers but man, he was fantastic at this role as he clearly gets more and more suspicious of what Oscar Isaacs character want from him and being captivated by Ava.  Seriously, these two had some intense scenes together with some friction and then some weird/awkward moments.

Ex Machina is truly an atmospheric and thrilling experience.  The story is done well and the cinematography is great.  The cast and performance was all around outstanding.  I’m thoroughly impressed with it.  Although, the ending was a little predictable, there was a lot of the story that really was unique in its own way.  The human interaction and dialogue is well-crafted and intellectual but never too much to hinder us from enjoying the movie itself.  Its pretty amazing! Love it! Highly recommend it! 🙂

Have you seen Ex Machina? Did you enjoy it? 

We’re continuing on with 2015 selections for the F choice.  Any guesses what it is?