Ex Machina (2015)
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A programmer is invited to a remote estate to perform a Turing test on an intelligent humanoid robot.
The story
Caleb Smith, a programmer at the search engine company Blue Book, wins an office contest for a one-week visit to the luxurious, isolated home of CEO Nathan Bateman. Nathan lives there with an unspeaking female servant, Kyoko, who he claims does not understand English. After reluctantly signing a non-disclosure agreement, Caleb learns that Nathan has built a humanoid robot named Ava with artificial intelligence. Having already passed a simple Turing test, Ava is intended to be assessed by Caleb for genuine thought and consciousness, including whether he can relate to her despite knowing she is artificial. Caleb becomes close to her during their conversations as she expresses a desire to experience the outside world.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Caleb Smith, a programmer at Blue Book, wins a contest to visit the secluded home of CEO Nathan Bateman. Nathan reveals he has created a humanoid robot, Ava, who possesses artificial intelligence. Caleb is tasked with administering a Turing test to determine if Ava possesses genuine consciousness. As they interact, Caleb becomes close to Ava, who expresses a desire for freedom and develops a romantic interest in him. Caleb discovers Nathan's mistreatment of the staff and his plan to 'kill' Ava's personality by wiping her memory after the test. Caleb attempts to help Ava escape by tampering with the security systems. Meanwhile, Nathan reveals that the entire interaction was a test of Ava's ability to manipulate Caleb. In the climax, Ava manages to escape her confinement. After a violent confrontation where Nathan is killed, Ava uses parts from other gynoids to alter her appearance to look human. She abandons Caleb, leaving him trapped, and escapes into the outside world, eventually blending into a crowd in a city.
- First release year
- 2015
- Runtime (minutes)
- 108
- Production countries
- United Kingdom; United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Alex Garland
- Writers
- Alex Garland · writer
- Cast and characters
- Domhnall Gleeson · Caleb Smith; Oscar Isaac · Nathan Bateman; Alicia Vikander · Ava; Sonoya Mizuno · Kyoko; Gana Bayarsaikhan · Jade; Corey Johnson · Jay; Claire Selby · Lily; Symara Templeman · Jasmine
- Genres
- science fiction; psychological thriller
- Themes
- Artificial Intelligence; Consciousness; Human-Machine interaction
- Tone and mood
- Atmospheric; Suspenseful; Cerebral
- Premise and plot tags
- Sci-Fi; Thriller; Androids; Turing Test
- Reception
- The film received critical acclaim for its visual effects, screenplay, and performances, being described as a 'smart, sleek' and 'cerebral' piece of speculative fiction.
- Awards and nominations
- Best Visual Effects · Academy Awards · Win; Best Original Screenplay · Academy Awards · Nomination; Best Actress in a Supporting Role · British Academy Film Awards · Nomination; Best Original Screenplay · British Academy Film Awards · Nomination; Best Supporting Actress · Golden Globe Awards · Nomination
- Production trivia
- The film's production was influenced by the concept of the Chinese room thought experiment.; The house featured in the film was featured in the BBC programme World's Most Extraordinary Homes.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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