Cinema has always been fascinated by androids. From “Metropolis” to “Blade Runner,” the juxtaposition of humans next to their artificial form has provided endless hours of stories that can be as exhilarating as they are poignant. Tough moral questions about consciousness and humanity go down easier when hidden under the glossy sheen of genre, after all.
With so many now-classics preceding it, “Ex Machina” might seem like just the latest flavor in the android movie shop. And yet, without necessarily expanding on this well-trod territory or innovating contemporary science-fiction, by going deep on a simple construct, “Ex Machina” establishes itself as a unique and deeply unsettling psychological thriller that’s both necessary and unforgettable.
The construct in question: How good is this android?
Writer-director Alex Garland in his feature debut tells the story with basically only three characters: Caleb (Domhnall Gleeson), the sharp programmer whose life is upended to spend a few days in a remote location with his company’s billionaire CEO and brilliant recluse, Nathan (Oscar Isaac); and Nathan’s creation, Ava (Alicia Vikander).
Caleb thinks he’s won a prize and a retreat with a genius. It’s only when he arrives that Nathan tells him his real purpose is to advise Nathan on whether or not Ava passes the human or machine test.