Review of Ex Machina (2015) by Briana C — 17 Oct 2016

The similarity of Ex Machina to the general storyline of Frankenstein is too close to ignore. One reviewer said it best when they said, "this storyline is so believable if someone told you tomorrow that Apple built this robot, you wouldn't be surprised". It is due to this fact that this movie comes across so well done. Instead of dystopian tale that forces you suspend your belief in reality, this one uses society's actual capabilities to drive their story.

A prevalent theme in this movie is the question of what true humanity actually. This is supplemented by the sweeping shots of nature surrounding Nathan's house in between scenes of displays of mind blowing technological feats. With the ending scenes in which Ava betrays both Nathan and Caleb, she has proven herself a true AI due to her complex manipulation and betrayal of those around her. She is reflecting the exact same societal values that we see prevalent in our society today. In the end, Ava is the one character that arcs and it is towards the ugly aspects of humanity.

Another great aspect of the film was both its sound effects and music. The sound effects associated with all the robots were impeccable and never missed a step. On top of that the music really aided in driving the storyline, smoothly transitioning the viewer from one scene to the next.

Another thread I noticed was the flashes of red, green, and blue lights throughout the film. When inquired about this online, I found articles stating that the director did this perfectly as these colors are the basis of LED and he intended them to represent the basis for technology. This is another example of the different layers that the director added to the film in order to convey his message of man vs. technology and how the line between the two isn't always clear.

I believe Ex Machina was one of the best movies I've seen in a long time in the Sci-Fi/Thriller genre. It did the genre a great service.