Review of Ex Machina

Ex Machina (2014)
9/10
Makes you think
31 July 2019
Warning: Spoilers
A suspenseful thriller without fast paced CGI (although it did win the Academy Award for special effects - the effects are used in a totally different way). Instead the story is driven by dialog and the hints of hidden agendas (and there are a few of them).

It is slow paced, taking its time to make you think. The questions that the character asks of another are many times also directed to the audience. There is time to think about both ethical and philosphical questions, especially in reference to new technology, but also how we live and treat each other. What it means to be sentinent, and to be human.

You don't need to think about it if you don't want to, the suspense and story is good enough to carry itself, but it is that extra dimension that gives the movie an edge.

The acting and directing is very good, without anyone standing out. The entire (but small) ensemble is very good (I must admit that I didn't recognize Isaac with his beard), and director Garland knows how to make his points. He has also put in a lot of references, both to other (many of them with a similar topic) movies and history (especially in reference to technology). It is telling that the character often quote pieces that is associated with the development of the atomic bomb.

Recommended, especially if you want a movie that you can continue to think about even after the end credits.
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