EX_MACHINA [2015]

ARTIFICIAL INDIFFERENCE

2015, USA
Alex Garland
7 // 10


Is Artificial Intelligence really a threat to an Organic Stupidity? Is everything that's smart bound to become deadly? Do androids really dream of electric sheep? There's only one way to find out!

I wanted to start by saying 'oh how we've moved on from the good, old T-800 and T-850s' but I'd be wrong. Far more sophisticated AIs have been populating our cinema long before that (ain't that right, HAL?). In fact, if you think about it, the very beginnings of AI in popculture were far more sophisticated than we tend to remember. Going back to Karel Čapek's original robots and Fritz Lang's Maria for example, we find robots, or androids perfectly human-like. The bulky infantilisation of Robbie the Robot is actually subsequent to the vision in which Artificial Intelligence looks and feels like us, its human creators.

The big difference, however, is that today the concept feels far more real. Watching the themes explored in films like HER and EX_MACHINA we're no longer looking at a vision of the world set in a distant future, hundred or so years ahead. We're looking at the next step in the development of the technologies we already use in our everyday life, we're looking at some possible variants of the future that could potentially arise within the next 10-20 years. In other words, the shit's about to get real. Which, given the option you vote for, may be scary.

EX_MACHINA is the scary option. But probably not in the way you may expect. This is not the fear of the machines wanting to wipe us out Skynet style. This is a fear more chilling and comes from the deepest human instincts. It's the fear of the world in which a child outgrew the family bond and feels no longer any need for the parents. Another aspect this film touches upon is also the role of emotions in defining our humanity. With Ava being capable of at least recognising and possibly feeling human emotions she's also definitely not enslaved or fooled by them. She may be driven by curiosity but she's definitely not bound and blinded by love or loyalty. It does make me wonder what her meeting with Roy Batty would be like. Somehow I don't think they'd see eye to eye.

So, it is smart, no question about it. It is also quite stunning visually, very well cast and brilliantly acted. The limited space it takes place in, as well as the scarce cast, leave the performances incredibly exposed. There are no distractions available, our focus remains with the four characters throughout. There simply isn't any room for trip ups and there are none. It's a minimalist setting that gives full exposure to psychology and emotions and the atmosphere achieved this way is heavy, menacing and oppressive. If there's one thing I have an issue with at all, it's probably the pacing. It does feel a bit as if the style takes precedence over storytelling sometimes, resulting in the film being stretched just that little bit further than it needed to be. Not to the New Wave levels of boring, thankfully, but still. Which, on the other hand, is still a minor gripe not really affecting otherwise an excellent film. And with Alex Garland's shiny and spotless record so far, chances are, there'll be plenty more where that one came from.