The Perfect Sci-Fi Thriller Is an R-rated Artificial Intelligence Conspiracy
Author: Robert Skuch Published
When I’m mentally prepared 28 years later: Temple of Bones I’ve had a great time working through Alex Garland’s past work up until the premiere. 2014 Ex Machina This is a shining example of his talent and range, as it proves that he can do more than just write a great screenplay, which we already knew 28 days later, Sunlightand Special Police Judgeand is also capable of directing feature films. Garland clearly knocked it out of the park Ex Machinawhich explains why he would go on to write and direct his next few films, each of which showcased his continued development as a filmmaker and world-builder.
Ex Machina This is a tense thriller about artificial intelligence and how easily it can be mishandled in its development stages. It requires an unflinching look at the motivations behind the people developing the technology and how dangerous those motivations are. Essentially, it’s about a man playing God, using humans in the same way he uses his robotic creations, and making people realize that uncontrolled scientific pursuits can have some very ugly consequences.
A boy and his toys
Ex Machina We are first introduced to Caleb Smith (Domhnall Gleeson), a talented programmer working for Blue Book, a tech giant with seemingly unlimited resources managed by the elusive CEO Nathan Bateman (Oscar Isaac). Caleb is excited when he discovers that Nathan has hand-picked him to test his latest artificial intelligence creation, a humanoid robot named Ava (Alicia Vikander), which was developed in complete secrecy. Nathan’s stated goal is to determine whether Ava is capable of independent thought by extending a modified version of the Turing Test, and he believes Caleb is the perfect candidate to help further his research.
It doesn’t take long for Caleb to notice Nathan’s disturbing behavior, particularly his alcoholism, narcissism, reliance on hidden cameras, and overall indifference in pursuing his supposedly groundbreaking work. Nathan also mistreats his servant Kyoko (Sonoya Mizuno), which deeply troubles Caleb, who tries to put his discomfort behind him and focus on the task at hand: understanding Ava and the limitations of her abilities.
as Ex Machina As we enter acts two and three, Caleb begins to realize that Nathan’s laid-back character is a carefully orchestrated performance. This man is far more controlling and manipulative than he first appears. Caleb discovers some truth while snooping around Nathan’s remote compound, but he also receives important information from Ava, who is only free to speak when the power suddenly goes out. What was purposefully left unclear was whether these outages were due to the facility being quarantined or whether it was a deliberate move by Nathan to see what Caleb would say when the cameras were supposed to go dark.
Things get more complicated when Ava expresses romantic interest in Caleb, and he finds himself returning to those feelings. The lingering question is whether this connection is part of her programming or evidence of her ability to express true emotions. Caught between an increasingly human-looking robot and her morally questionable creator, Caleb is forced to determine whether Ava is real in important ways, or whether Nathan is simply conducting another layer of psychological experimentation for his own twisted amusement.
Dude, no NDA should have been signed!
Caleb’s experience Ex Machina Becomes the ultimate test of trust and perception. While Nathan treats him well on the surface, Caleb ends up being used as part of a larger experiment. Nathan’s emotional detachment is revealed to be an act that masks the fact that nearly every interaction within the facility is observed, recorded, and analyzed. As Caleb learns more about Nathan’s true intentions, it becomes increasingly difficult to tell whether he is a visionary on the verge of a scientific breakthrough or a deranged megalomaniac who is abusing company resources for personal and disturbing reasons.
At a certain point, when you find yourself pouring out your most intimate thoughts and fears to a soulless person instead of the person you’re supposed to be working with, it’s a very clear sign that the power dynamic has gone completely off the rails. Will this imbalance be corrected? Ex Machina This is something you need to experience for yourself.
As of this writing, Ex Machina Now playing on Max.
