Oscar Isaac's career-best performance.

This was fantastic. It's insanely creepy and thought-provoking, and from a visual standpoint it's absolutely gorgeous. Definitely harkens back to Kubrick and Hitchcock. It's very much a three-hander between Domnhall Gleeson, Oscar Isaac and Alicia Vikander (there's only one other major character and they have no dialogue) and all are fantastic. Gleeson and Isaac are becoming two of my very favorite actors, and Vikander delivers a stunning breakout performance. Definitely don't miss this one. A-

Hoping this expands here before the May onslaught begins.

Could definitely go down for me as one of the best sci-fi films in recent time personally (Inception, Interstellar, and Never Let Me Go are at the top for me). All three of the main cast here are nothing short of fantastic and I can't wait to see how all their careers continue to grow. It's a simple film with shocking twists and an ending that is both rewarding and deeply terrifying depending on what side you fall.

I loved this as well. One of my favorite things about it was the score how in the beginning it is really soft but incredibly unnerving during the interview scenes and it just is a continual build up until the ending. All three of the actors are fantastic as well and it's a gorgeous looking film with a fantastic ending.

A

Best film I've seen in awhile.

Introverted computer programmer Caleb (Domhnall Gleeson) is recruited to visit the palatial and secluded mountainside home of his wealthy employer, Nathan (Oscar Isaac). His enthusiasm is palpable, but the purpose of the trip is shrouded in mystery. Only in person does Nathan reveal Caleb is to interact with and test the quote-unquote humanity of Ava (Alicia Vikander), a female android with artificial intelligence. As the test nears its conclusion, wonder turns to anxiety and suspicion as Nathan forms a profound relationship with his largely hospitable, yet inscrutable host's state-of-the-art creation. With Ex Machina, his welcome directorial debut, respected novelist-turned-screenwriter Alex Garland proves he is an inspired and muscular stylist as well as a top-notch storyteller. This is a perfect science-fiction film or very, very close to it. The type of film fans of the genre always hope to chance upon, it is riveting from the start, moving at a confident and steady pace, slowly and smartly building an atmosphere of unease, and its dual purposes (to tease the mind with ideas, to entertain as a piece of exciting and stylish cinema) complement rather than overpower one another. The home where most of the action unfolds is a modern space at once beguiling and icy, similar to inhabitant Ava, and its reflective surfaces and sharp lines heighten the overall sense of enveloping isolation experienced by fish-out-of-water Caleb. The performances are arresting, too. The arguable standout is Isaac. He upends expectations by playing his role, a type of contemporary mad scientist, with colorful, outsize virility rather than intellectual severity. Because he seems both highly charismatic and entirely dangerous, the mystery regarding the goal and the ideology of Nathan (indeed, the simple question of how much he can be trusted at any given moment) is much harder to unravel and predict.

A

lol

I think I may go see this again in theaters.

Major spoilers right away.

So was ending AVA's version of a Bluebook NDA? And does it justify how Nathan was treating the AI? Or rather say that AI are gonna be just as bad with disposable waste as humans? I like that its ambigious, but the movie left me unsatisfied. I kept waiting for it to hit the next gear, but that never happened. It ended with a thud, at best a warning, showing that I was just as foolish as Caleb for expecting anything different.

I guess, much like in Her, my desire for a more resolving conclusion stems from my own insecurities regarding AI. I'm just waiting for one movie to give me hope they won't kill all the humans and take over the world lol. Ex Machina's premise is centered around this issue, although its test subject is much more enthusiastic and trusting at the start. Terminator and The Matrix must not exist here. What seems like a burgeoning romance, one that can only be thwarted by a God, is actually a psychological battle between master and creation. Whoever wins, Caleb loses. Like Alien vs Predator if the predators weren't into black chicks. Hips and lips was the correct answer to that question, btw.

The ride getting to the end is thrilling, compelling and thought provoking throughout. I often found myself wondering what I would do/say to the AI, if it would affect me the same way and how I would feel about that. A mark of a good thriller that is. Isaac is brilliant is his modern version of a not-as-mad-as-we-believe Scientist. The dance scene pe#1 posted is my favorite part of the film. It is just as interesting to watch him try to prove he's human as it is with AVA.

I kept waiting for it to turn into a horror movie, and was even more horrified to find out it was one all along. Another mark of a good thriller. Still, I wish we could've got a little more oomph at the end, a more definitive moment instead of starting a new chapter of horror. For me that would have taken it from very good thought provoker to "fucking amazing".

God from the machine has no place in Ex Machina, which provides a thoroughly unnerving, inquisitive approach to what our future could be like (on an intimate, small scale). The three principal actors, Domnhall Gleeson, Oscar Isaac and Alicia Vikander, are all superb. Gets in your head and doesn't leave. A-

I fucking loved this movie.

EX MACHINA

This film reminds me of previous and future artificial intelligence films of late. Films like Chappie, Transcendence and Ultron all demonstrate the dangers of AI. I really don't see how AI can be beneficial in any way because when you create something that has a need or will to live then it will do anything and everything to stay alive so to speak. Hopefully, this never ever gets created.

As for the film, I thought it was a good film. It wasn't great because it had some glaring logic flaws at the end there that made no sense. First, I thought the acting and dialogue was interesting in the film. I always find it voyeuristic to see the fictional communication between a human and an android. Watching Ava's limited facial reactions during her sessions with Caleb as opposed to when she is free and you see her joy just before she walks up the stairs was a lovely moment. I thought Caleb and Nathan were completely believable in their roles. The plot moved along well although the Ava Session subtitling got annoying towards the end. The other interesting thing is why he created these androids with an anatomical correct position wise vagina. What was the point of that? I don't know if that was done for all the androids in the beginning but it seemed like there was another dynamic at work besides seeking to create a sentient android and more to create the perfect subservient companion. As for the logic flaws in the end, how Nathan could not have programmed some form of fail safe or have a electromagnetic type of weapon that would disable the androids rather than facing Ava with a dumbbell bar makes no sense. The re-coding of his computer system is believable but having no defense mechanisms is just crazy and I don't chalk it up to his ego. He has this extreme level of security just to enter his facility but no defensive security should his androids malfunction. Come on now. Currently, I'm gonna grade it as a...

Grade - B

I loved it. I think it's an instant classic and the first great movie of 2015.

A

Alicia Vikander... What are you doing to me?!

Woww..... this movie. I couldn't have asked for a better ending, everything after *SPOILERS* Ava is released from her room, I was just saying, what... what.... shit..... what?? the fuck???? wow..... WOW..... WOW!!!!!! I goddamn love that she escaped and didn't give two shits about Caleb (or the other robot), she hated her creator so much she effin stabbed him in the heart.... My goodness that sticks with me. Very much looking forward to seeing this again. So very eerie. Wonderfully directed, scripted, acted, and scored. Also the CGI was pretty seamless. I have nothing negative to say.

Also I'm glad I'm not the only one who was enthralled by Oscar Isaac's performance. Really wonderful job he did, what a character. The other two leads were fantastic as well.

It will be hard to top this movie for 2015. We'll see.

B-

B minus?

B- seems quite low if you had no problems with it.

Just wanted to see if anyone was paying attention! I crack myself up.

Definite A material.

Ex Machina and Her are probably my top 2 'artificial intelligence movies,' however I know there's other good ones out there....

2001 a space odyssey
blade runner
the terminator
terminator 2 judgement day
the matrix
a.i. artificial intelligence

sexbots

Oscar Isaac's is the best thing about this movie IMO. Very charismatic/versatile actor and I almost wish the movie was just about him interacting with the sexbots. Not saying the other guy was bad, but I didn't find his character engaging either. Overall I didn't love it, but it's definitely an interesting, well made/acted piece of hard sci-fi.

Very good movie. Oscar Isaac is great indeed, and Gleeson and Vikander aren't far behind. The Japanese maid has a great screen presence too. From the trailer I wasn't worried it might be a bit dull, but it's very well made and engaging sci-fi. The score couldn't be better, and there's sublime scenery. I just have problems with some parts of the story itself, turning the characters robotic sometimes in way I don't find realistic. There's this hyper intelligent person, who's created this ordeal, but only in the very end gets suspicious. And Gleeson's character would really let him self get fooled by a robot this way, not holding some suspicion back himself. I guess he really fell in love, and Isaac was just so full of himself he let things slip. For my feeling I expected some more intelligent writing there, but I absolutely love everything Garland does, and this is definitely one of the better movies of 2015 so far.

B+

Ex Machina

Ex Machina feels special. With the gravitas of a monumental achievement in moral storytelling, and the technical wizardry on display becoming very much a supporting star to the message at its core, it feels ultra special. Whether it is, I am unsure. But I cannot deny my elation while watching it.

The exchanges between Caleb and Nathan are exquisite (the performances are natural, and top-drawer stuff). Oscar Isaac is sensational, and Gleeson's talent is effortless. Every scene I found myself calculating the relevance of the phrase "ex machina", until the end where it in fact becomes a double meaning. "Has the essence of this story been told before? So why am I holding this in such high regard?" I kept asking myself. I guess that's the magic of cinema.

Cinematographically; pristine, beautiful, somewhat cold, akin to themes within the narrative. Ex Machina is captivating from the first frame until the last. It is a brilliant piece of cinema, however the thought-provocation was lost on me as I got a sense of narrative déja vu. Nevertheless, it's probably the year's best science-fiction film. Despite its seriousness, it also offers a great deal of fun (the dancing scene, for example) and awesome what-ifs skirting male fantasy and technological takeover. The ending (a bold statement on womankind) is unforeseen and therefore incredible.

A-

This is certainly one of my favorite sci-fi movies. Most of them bore or confuse me, but I was enraptured in this one from the start. The setup reminded me of a classic short story from such a writer as Ray Bradbury that I would read in English class (I love English, so this is a good thing). No matter how many times I tried to predict the outcome, it kept throwing in more and more curveballs. All three leads are wonderful, especially Alicia Vikander (she is very attractive as well) and I hope she gets more work after The Man from U.N.C.L.E. This is my second favorite movie of the year I have seen after Inside Out.

A