Ex_Machina: Movie

     This movie was spectacular. It’s a sic-fi nerd’s dream. With movies like “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” “Her” and “Chappie” popping up everywhere, this one was a bit low on the radar, but it tackles the subject matter best. All of the above movies ask questions about true consciousness and artificial intelligence, but this one works the hardest. It focuses on the subject throughout the entirety of the movie and still manages to deliver a very intriguing and attention-grabbing plot. It moves slowly and there is an extremely small amount of action, but that’s the point. This movie is about thought and we see thoughts from both man and machine throughout its entirety.

Tech genius and billionaire Nathan invites one of his employees to his home for a week to test out his latest android with the Touring Test. Caleb must talk to Ava to see if he believes she is truly intelligent. If she is, then Nathan will have succeeded. If she isn’t, then it’s time to go back to the drawing board to make some changes.

Nathan is brilliant and supremely manipulative, but a bit of an a** when it comes to his social skills. I respect his character the most, because he has truly created something great and his motivations are sound. He doesn’t believe he’s doing anything wrong by shutting Ava down, because she is his creation and only the sum of parts he’s put together. He sees her as no different from his many devices or the search engine he created that gave him his fortune in the first place.

Caleb is a bright young man, but lonely and very inhibited. It’s very clear from his first interaction with Ava that he is attracted to her and he looks forward to his talks with her. He goes through all manner of existential crises, even doubting the fact that he is human himself after discovering his affection for a creature that is not human at all. He feels something he has never felt before and it pushes him to do things he never would have done other wise. Out of all of the characters in the movie, he has the biggest character arc and you really feel for him in the end. He’s just a nerd in love.

Ava is the real star of the show. Every actor here does an AMAZING job, but she’s top notch. She’s a robot, but shows true intelligence and amazing displays of emotions. She even has a fear of dying. The chemical gel that comprises her brain is just as versatile as a human’s and everything about her is simply amazing. The only other woman she has ever met is Kyoko and Caleb is the first man she meets other than her creator. Like Nathan says, it makes sense that she would have a crush on him.

This movie is far too good for me to include too many spoilers here, but things get pretty crazy. One gets so caught up in the science and romance that it’s hard to notice what is really going on until it’s revealed. The cast is small and the budget is low, but the writing, acting, camera work and direction are all top notch. This moving is definitely living (or robotic) proof that money doesn’t make the movie. The fact that it hasn’t broken the box office also shows that quality doesn’t always equal quantity. There are far too many people not appreciating this movie. I highly recommend it to anyone with a decent brain, organic or chemical gel.

Jonathan Jones

Jonathan Thomas Jones is a speculative fiction author and founder of geekhavenreviews.com. He has been passionate about all things geek for his entire life. See more about him at jonathanthomasjones.com and follow him on twitter @jtgloryjones.