Ex Machina 15

*Insert witty, yet totally cliched, Blade Runner pun here*. Yet I haven’t. To do that will undersell this chilling mind-f of a film.

Part suspense, part out-right horror, Ex Machina is actually a film for everyone. It’s doesn’t have quite the feel or the pace of a mainstream blockbuster, but it certainly has enough elements to keep people entertain. It is quite possibly scarier than some run of the mill, connect the dots, horrors out on the market these days. Mainly because it’s premise is rooted in Science Near Future rather than fiction.

Invited to spend the weekend at Nathan’s retreat, programmer Caleb (Domnhal Gleeson) signs a non-disclosure document before being introduced to beautiful and flirty A.I, Ava. Nothing is what it seems, even until the closing scenes, you do not know who to trust. Caleb and Ava appear to be playing a part in Nathan’s rat maze, but only because no one is ever truly showing a full hand.

Caleb, for the most part, is the protagonist and proxy for viewers. Only on very rare occasions are the audience privy to information he doesn’t know. Domnhall once again, proving that he is a versatile actor, takes center stage. There’s a haunting scene where he has convinced himself that even he is an A.I and it is believable that he has fallen for the breathtaking Ava. He can do comedy, romance and now sci-fi. Here’s to Star Wars giving us the action man I know he’d be perfect as (I’d love to see him play the villain).

Oscar Issac provides a psychopathic charm to his performance; you never fully trust him, but you always think that you’re being conditioned that way and you will look for redeeming features. Alicia Vikander’s Ava is a work of art and her performance is exceptional. Coming to the closing scenes, it is hard to believe she is anything but human.

The set design and visuals are flawless, claustrophobic and downright beautiful. Just like Nathan, they lull you into a false sense of security before sending your heart into overdrive.

Cast- 10
Cinematography- 9
Plot- 8
Pace- 6
Sound/Music- 7
Enjoyability- 7