Alex Garland has made a name for himself in Hollywood with solid scripts for cult favorite films like 28 DAYS LATER, SUNSHINE, and DREDD. His newest screenplay effort is also his first time working behind the camera as director, with the sci-fi thriller EX MACHINA.

Caleb (Domhnall Gleeson) works for a major software company not unlike Facebook or Google, and is chosen to take part in an on-site experiment with the company’s eccentric and insanely wealthy founder Nathan (Oscar Isaac). A helicopter drops Caleb off in a grassy field hidden away in the mountains, where he must walk to his ultimate destination. Once there he quickly meets Nathan, and the two develop a rather fast trust. Nathan explains to Caleb that he’s going to participate in a “Turing Test” (a reference to the Enigma machine creator Alan Turing) which is testing an artificial intelligence to see if he can determine he’s talking to a machine… but there’s a catch, in that this machine already knows what it is, yet is very human-like. The machine in question is Ava (Alicia Vikander), a highly advanced cyborg woman with a beautiful face and translucent body parts. Caleb has various conversations with her while Nathan watches with his spy cameras, but things turn mysterious when random power outages occur, knocking out the cameras and giving Caleb and Ava some true alone time. During one of those moments she tells him not to trust Nathan, and eludes to there being something very wrong. As time passes, Caleb finds himself becoming enamored with Ava, and more and more not liking Nathan or his behavior.

EX MACHINA plays out almost like a slow-moving chess game, with all of the players executing strategic and sometimes brilliant moves, while always analyzing the moves and behavior of their opponents. It also does a good job of keeping the audience guessing, as even when we think we know exactly what’s going on they throw a curve ball during the most unexpected moments. But what is great about the style of the film is that it harkens back to a slightly darker time in science fiction filmmaking, specifically evoking the feel of early 1970s Sci-Fi flicks that weren’t big on happiness and happy endings. It’s cold and in some ways brutal, but ever so brilliant. Alex Garland excels in creating strong characters where the setting takes a backseat to their interactions, and here he finds a masterful eye while directing the proceedings, filling every frame with breathtaking visuals.

Domhnall Gleeson becomes the audience in playing Caleb, a smart man not without curiosity but with a strong sense of decency. It’s a controlled and quiet performance, but fascinating to watch unfold. Oscar Isaac, who is always excellent, plays Nathan rather brilliantly as an unpredictable genius. We get that he’s insanely wealthy and intelligent, but with darker desires and motives… it can be assumed he didn’t get to where he was without crossing the line a few times. What’s fun is Isaac getting to make the most of Nathan’s eccentric nature, breaking into synchronized dance at the oddest of times, or overcoming himself with booze to cover his own insecurities. But make no mistake, the star performance here is Alicia Vikander as Ava, the sentient robot with a vulnerable face and mysterious mind. It’s an inspired reading that captures the beauty and horror of such a creation, and it’s one of the more haunting characters to hit cinemas this year. I also want to acknowledge the silent but effective performance of Sonoya Mizuno as Nathan’s servant Kyoko, another fascinating role in this focused character study.

EX MACHINA is not a film for everyone, and it’s likely some won’t take to its bleak style, but it’s also a movie worth watching and dissecting for its brilliance. Not unlike a play with limited characters, the story keeps the dynamic small and controlled, even when big things are happening. And the effects are so perfectly done you might swear Ava is a real robotic design in certain scenes. This isn’t a film I can imagine wanting to watch many more times, but it’s a production I’m very glad I got to experience, and one I hope people allow themselves to take in, especially in this day and age of sequels and reboots.

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