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How can you tell if an intelligence machine actually has a consciousness, the way a human being does? The Turing Test is a scientific method developed to answer this question by, simply, interacting with a machine in conversation to see if a human being can be fooled. Chatterbots have recently made waves in this field, especially with the news of Eugene Goostman personality, which allegedly won the University of Reading's 2014 Turing Test. The film Ex Machina goes a step further, to assert that an AI might be capable of such human-like development that they can fool us in more frightening ways.
This movie is pretty much all about two dudes and a robot, in a high-tech home in the middle of nowhere. You might think this movie will get boring fast with such a limited cast and scope. Even though the film suffers a little drag, there's always tension between the characters that culminates into palpable suspense. The film's greatest strength is in subtly creeping insinuations into the audience's heads, getting them to sympathize with certain characters and making them believe that the plot is heading in one direction, before pulling out some twists that challenge our perception and biases. The finale is one diabolical turn of events with potentially chilling implications.
Ultimately, it's the story and its ideas that make the whole affair interesting. Characters aren't particular standouts, but there's enough dimensionality in them to drive the plot dynamics and dig up fascinating themes worth thinking about. In the context of AI development, the film successfully evokes thought concerning the nature of consciousness and what could happen if it's put into a machine. Would a conscious robot be capable of feeling love? How would it view the world? Can it be considered a real person? Above all, how far will it go to preserve its own life? The film explores the best and worst of this speculative technology.
The film is crafted with decent photography, with some shots that are brilliantly-composed and spectacular. Sharp editing, combined with the music and sound design, help make this an even more evoking experience, especially in the last act. Acting is generally good; Domhnall Gleeson and Oscar Isaac show appropriate skill and nuance for their given characters, but it's Alicia Vikander that dazzles the most through her combination of expression and movement. I also thought Sonoya Mizuno was hot. Writing is quite high-brow, and is good overall. This production makes excellent use of its limited sets, props, costumes, and special effects, and they all look fantastic. The rock and electronic music score by Ben Salisbury and Geoff Barrow is a thing of beauty too, and accentuates the film perfectly.
Ex Machina is a twisty thriller that offers plenty to think about. Sci-fi fans might get the most out of it, especially if you have an interest in pondering the implications of artificial intelligence. It's worth seeing at least once.
4.5/5 (Experience: Good | Content: Very Good | Film: Very Good)
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