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The next new release was Annihilation; however, before I cover that, I decided to review the previous work of its director, Alex Garland: his directorial debut, Ex Machina.
The story follows Caleb, a programmer and employee of a widely popular search engine company. He is selected for what he believes is a week-long visit to the home of the CEO, Nathan. When he arrives, Nathan informs him that he's in a research facility specializing in artificial intelligence. In addition to that, he's built an AI (a female named Ava), and chosen Caleb to be the human component in a Turing test. His objective is to analyze her and see if she has any humanity. What follows may be more than just mere conversations; they might just be a series of mind games.
What Worked: Despite not having much in the way of cast, that limitation actually works here because the plot is built around it. What benefits it further is the fact that the three main characters are all played by good actors. Caleb, the protagonist, is played by Domhnall Gleeson (Bill Weasley from Harry Potter). He's great in this, showing legitimate astonishment at what he learns from Nathan and while interacting with Ava.
Nathan is played by Oscar Isaac (Annihilation, Star Wars*), who is very believable at conveying the Steve Jobs-type qualities of his character, as well as a laid-back personality. He also shows that he can have some fun in one scene.
The one that stands out the most, however, is Ava herself, played by Alicia Vikander (Tomb Raider, Jason Bourne). This movie gave her recognition, and for good reason; she's fantastic in this. Every time she's on screen, especially when interacting with Caleb, it's hard not to be invested. It's not just her performance that gives you that feeling.
This movie looks gorgeous in its cinematography and production design, from the environment around the building to the building itself. If the look of the setting alone doesn't grab your attention, just wait until you see the visuals. They are that good to where they even won Best Visual Effects (and I was actually fine with that). The score is also very solid.
All of that shows in Alex Garland's direction, and in his script to an extent. There are some interesting ideas presented through the dialogue, along with a bit of humor.
What Didn't Work: A minor issue I had is that while the pacing is overall very good, there were times where it felt slightly uneven when going from one session to another.
Overall: Ex Machina is a great example of both an original and clever sci-fi story and an excellent directorial debut. It shows that Alex Garland can be a solid director in addition to a solid writer who has experience in the genre itself. While not as thought-provoking, it's similar to The Matrix in that it poses intriguing questions and opens the door for the audience to interpret its themes, particularly through a very unsettling ending. It also allows them to view how we interact with our technology from both perspectives and what could happen if we underestimate it.
Ex Machina is proof that even on a smaller scale and with a smaller budget, a sci-fi story can work if it justifies them enough to still be interesting.
*He and Domhnall Gleeson would go on to be in Star Wars following this movie.