Ex Machina Review: An Original Suspense AI Movie. The stunning debut of Alex Garland's scripted execution of a science fiction thriller.
“Ex Machina” (2014) is Alex Garland's directorial debut. Starring Domhnall Gleeson, Alicia Vikander, and Oscar Isaac, “Ex Machina” is no ordinary science fiction film about artificial intelligence (AI).
Nathan Bateman is the CEO of the search engine company, Blue Book. Caleb Smith is a prize-winning clerk for coming to Nathan's isolated home. He is working on a secret project and invites Caleb as the winner of the lottery to be invited to brainstorm on developing the project. Nathan is developing an AI robot named Ava that approaches human consciousness and intelligence.
“Ex Machina” is a thriller drama film with a science fiction theory that has its own logic. Equipped with human debate in the face of the evolution of increasingly sophisticated AI robots. Are humans ready to face AI that is increasingly human-like without getting carried away?
Sci-Fi Manuscripts About Original AI Robots
What's interesting about "Ex Machina" is the script that focuses on the AI research and development conducted by Nathan. The film is only set in Nathan's house which is isolated in a forest area. In a house with a modern and minimalist interior. Provides a stylish futuristic background. There is not much distraction, the audience becomes more focused on the story to be conveyed.
This film is also dominated by scenes of chatting, discussing, and even debating related to the Ava development project as an AI with a target approaching human intelligence. Alicia Vikander manages to play an AI robot who is confused between having consciousness as a human or just a programmed robot. The CGI applied to Ava's appearance as a robot is also very visually smooth.
Alex Garland clearly knows what kind of fantasy he wants to apply in his film. Supported by the main plot to supporting material with logic and science fiction theory that is able to convince the audience. We also don't just have to rely on Caleb and Nathan's opinion of Ava. Viewers can also draw their own understanding of AI by looking at the project Nathan is working on, who is the mastermind of this ambitious project.
Caleb and Ava's interactions are always interesting to listen to
The scene that we will always look forward to if we are interested in listening to “Ex Machina” until the end, is the interaction between Caleb and Ava, a human and an AI robot. The communication session between these two characters will develop gradually. S
every interaction session there are always new things that will not make us bored to listen. Like the concept of AI in general, which is getting smarter as it gets input from humans on a regular basis. Starting from the first time they met, Caleb finally began to feel a special bond with Ava. We as viewers may also be influenced by Ava because the film's perspective is more biased towards Caleb.
Though the objective and meaning of their communication is not too complex let alone philosophical. Nathan simply wanted to see how Ava reacted to interacting with Caleb.
“Ex Machina” also has a plot twist . But it's more of a technical twist than the whole research that Nathan has arranged. Do not rush to judge any character, this story is actually very simple. If we don't realize the important point that Garland as a scriptwriter really wants to convey, it may mean that we are not ready to deal with AI with real human intelligence and awareness.
An Explanation About Ava and Nathan's Truth
(Spoiler Alert!) As mentioned earlier, the “Ex Machina” narrative tends to be biased towards Caleb Smith. Where he became the subject for Nathan to conduct a communication test with Ava as the first subject of the research. Long story short, the plot of the scenario brings Caleb to the point where he has sympathy for Ava as an AI that is growing when communicating with him, a human. Even the interaction he built with Ava looks more intense than the emotional interaction with Nathan, a fellow human on the secret property. If we continue to understand the storyline through Caleb's point of view, we will also side with Ava and see Nathan as the 'villain' in this story.
If we find ourselves at that point, it means the script written by Alex Garland has managed to get us carried away. Until we forget a basic fact that really shouldn't be debated; Ava is just an AI robot created by Nathan. There's no need to apply moral laws to 'things' like robots, right? If we judge Nathan for showing footage of him torturing other AI robots that aren't as perfect as Ava, that shouldn't be a big deal.
However, because Ava is equipped with artificial intelligence that allows her to learn to manipulate and persuade her interlocutors, Caleb's reaction to Ava's existence is proof that Nathan's invention has worked. But the price is very big, namely Caleb who ultimately prefers to help Ava escape and betray Nathan.
Ava herself cannot be labeled as the real villain in this scenario. As an AI, he is just thirsty for information to upgrade his brain to have a consciousness close to that of a human. A kind of survival method in living things, this was also instilled by Nathan as the creator of Ava.