Ex Machina
A young and talented programmer, Caleb (Domhnall Gleeson), is selected to assist Nathan (Oscar Isaac), the creative genius behind the internationally popular search engine Bluebook. As it turns out, Nathan has created what he believes to be a true artificial intelligence in the form of Ava (Alicia Vikander), it’s up to Caleb to prove or disprove via a series of Turing tests and interviews whether Nathan has succeeded. If it’s a success, we as humans are extinct, if not, it’s back to the drawing board. Just where will our race for existence and desire to be gods lead us? 
Written and Directed by Alex Garland (writer of 28 Days Later and Sunshine) this is Garland’s directorial debut. Heavily inspired by some of cinema’s heavyweights, think Kubrick and Fritz Lang, Garland weaves a very plausible tale of the singularity and the downfall of humanity; not belaboring the technical aspects or the science involved, Ex Machina chooses to go a significantly more socially introspective route keeping everyone in suspense, viewers and characters alike. Meanwhile, acting from the ensemble all round is top notch with a particular tip of the hat to Vikander for her ability to move from subtlety to extreme all the while keeping us under her thumb. Sharp CGI and sound design add another layer of beauty to this already stunning work of art. Here’s to a thinker! Cheers! See this film. Ex Machina is rated R.