Alex Garland has been kicking ass and taking names with screenplays like 28 DAYS LATER, SUNSHINE and DREDD. The time has come for him to make his directorial debut, and EX MACHINA looks to be right up the alley of anyone who appreciates a good science-fiction cautionary tale. The story follows that of Caleb Smith (Domhnall Gleeson), a programmer at an internet-search giant who wins a competition to spend a week at the private mountain estate of the company's brilliant and reclusive CEO, Nathan Bateman (Oscar Isaac). There he encounters Ava (Alicia Vikander), Bateman's latest experiment that is a breathtaking A.I. whose emotional intelligence proves more sophisticated, and more deceptive, than the two men could have imagined.
I've been a fan of Alex Garland's work for a while now, and especially excited for this film once the first international trailer hit late last year. I love the set-up of these two people isolated from the rest of the world. It certainly helps that Gleeson and Isaac headline the cast, both of whom have parts in the upcoming STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS. The visual aesthetic is on-point as well. Here's hoping EX MACHINA transitions Garland into a kick-ass director!
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