Ex Machina is a filmed I considered one of the best movies of 2015. It’s one of the most accurate accounts of AI in all of history and delivers the cold hard truth of AI as hard as a brick accidentally dropped from a construction site. Before I analysis this movie, take caution, I will reveal some major spoilers that might ruin the film for you.
The movie begins with Caleb, the main protagonist, winning/solving a programming contest/problem at work. This sets up the audience to believe that Caleb is a genius in computer science. The prize Caleb wins is a trip to go visit CEO of the company, Nathan. Nathan lives far out from civilization, as the viewer can see from the long helicopter ride. This brings up the question of “what’s the need for the isolation? “ Once Caleb gets off the helicopter, he is wearing a suit for the meeting with Nathan. This tells the audience the Caleb is a man that shows respect to his higher ups and acts professionally, but is paranoid due to unknown criteria on how he should present himself to the CEO. This suggestion can further be proved as he wanders around the forest and facility trying to look for Nathan. Caleb proceeds to find Nathan punching a sandbag furiously, which is quite uncommon for a billionaire to be doing. Nathan confronts Caleb, calming him down and tells him to act more casually around him, to set up a convenient friendship.
After a discussion of sleeping arrangements and disclosure agreements, Nathan asks Caleb if he know’s what the Turing Test is. The Turing Test was a game Alan Turing made up to answer the question of whether something is truly AI or not. This leads to Nathan asking Caleb to give his AI the Alan Turing Test. Later, Caleb meets Nathan’s AI, Ava, and gives her the Turing Test. Nathan explains to Caleb that he know’s Ava beats the basic test, but he was Caleb to know that she’s a robot and still believe she has a conscious. The two talk for a little bit, and Caleb goes back to his room. In his room, he finds out the area has surveillance cameras all around and can be access on the TV. Then shortly after, the power goes out. Caleb frighten, goes out to search for help. Right now, Caleb is starting to have some suspicions on the situation. “Why were there security cameras?” , “Why is the power going off?”, these are questions going through Caleb’s mind. Currently the audience gets the feeling that Nathan is hiding something bad from Caleb, and that Caleb is on to it. After a discussion with Nathan and some sleep, Caleb goes to ask Ava some more questions. The power goes off again, and Ava warns Caleb about Nathan during the time. Caleb is now currently thinking that Nathan is now conducting some sort of conspiracy and wants to know what's going on. During dinner, Kyoko, Nathan’s “imported servant”, accidentally spills wine over Caleb. Nathan proceeds to chew out Kyoko, showing inhuman treatment to Kyoko. Caleb’s picture of Nathan is currently getting worse.
On the next day of the Turing test, Ava wants to show Caleb her in a dress. She seem’s really excited and anxious to do so. Once revealed, Caleb was blown away. It’s now that the audience starts to realize the Caleb is falling in love with Ava. Caleb goes to discuss with Nathan whether or not Ava understands what love is. Nathan detects a secret agenda of Caleb and proceeds to tell Caleb that Ava is able to perform sex. Caleb obviously denying it, is now investing more and more into Ava, while despising Nathan. Caleb’s next visit to Ava reveals that she’s causing the power outs, and she continues to caution Caleb on Nathan. Feeling distrustful of Nathan, Caleb begins to separate from him a little. Nathan see’s this and begins to confront Caleb on their similarities, trying to bring a back a little trust. Caleb proceeds to snoop around, and finds a video of Nathan tearing up Ava’s drawing of Caleb in front of her. This infuriates Caleb, but Nathan tells Caleb to calm down, it’s all apart of the test. Caleb proceeds to escort the drunken Nathan to his room, then realizes that Nathan’s one weakness is that he can’t hold his liquor.
Caleb proceeds to get Nathan drunk so that he sleeps, and begins to snoop around Nathan’s computer. Caleb finds video’s of old AI models Nathan had made, and finds out the truth of Nathan’s past. There’s a reason why a billionaire kept fit for fighting everyday, these robots were dying to get out. After the video, he goes into Nathan’s bedroom and realizes that Kyoko is an AI. Along with that, he finds the past models. Caleb is so distraught, he heads out and helps Nathan back to his bed. Caleb confused about the situation, cuts himself to see if he’s a robot, which he wasn’t. It was at this point that Caleb reassuringly decides to break out Ava. Caleb tries to get Nathan drunk, but Nathan calls him out and tells Caleb the truth. Caleb is nothing special. He was chosen because he was single and a loner. Ava was specifically design to meet Caleb’s ideal girl and to get Caleb to fall in love with her. Ava’s true purpose was to escape her prison. Nathan calms down Caleb and tells him that it’s all over, but Caleb was unfortunately one step ahead of Nathan and had already release Ava. Nathan knocks out Caleb and proceeds to encounter with Kyoko and Ava, which results in Nathan’s and Kyoko’s death. Ava proceeds to lock Caleb inside that facility, and repair herself with past model parts. She then leaves the facility, leaving Caleb left to die, and stealing the helicopter he was suppose to take.
This movie was full of heart and mind string pulling moments. The AI had convinced the audience that she cared about Caleb as well as the character. In most sci-fi movies, there’s usually some conspiracy of evilness, but it reality, it was Nathan pulling one of Caleb to see if the AI are ready or not. Even in the beginning, Kyoko spilling wine was showing that she was “human” and that it was completely her fault. This was most likely planned by Nathan to convince Caleb of her being human. The most heart-aching moment of the film was when Ava left Caleb to die. This reaffirmed the lack of love Ava had for Caleb, that she was only using Caleb to escape the facility. This shocking boundary between human and AI is was really brought this movie to life and as a result, created the effect unlike anything I’ve ever scene. - Nick A