Ex Machina
A young programmer is drawn into a secluded artificial-intelligence test where every human gesture may be part of a calculated experiment.
Overview
A programmer's week at a secluded retreat turns into a chilling exploration of consciousness and trust.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- cerebral
- claustrophobic
- eerie
- late night viewing
- technology discussion
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film as an intelligent, stylish, tightly controlled science-fiction thriller with strong performances and provocative ideas about artificial intelligence, consciousness, and power.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Caleb evaluates whether Ava possesses genuine human qualities while Nathan treats her as an experiment.
Nathan's remote mountain compound, locked rooms, power cuts, and constant observation make every interaction feel strategically controlled.
Nathan is a reclusive internet CEO whose immense wealth and private research allow him to create and control an advanced android outside public accountability.
The compound's glass walls, minimalist interiors, exposed systems, and transparent yet inaccessible architecture frame the characters as observed specimens.
Films like Ex Machina, and why
Her
Shares cerebral science fiction, artificial intelligence ethics, psychological manipulation, and an unsettling atmosphere.
Under the Skin
Shares isolated high-tech environments, human-machine distrust, and philosophical science fiction focused on identity.
The Truman Show
Shares paranoid psychological tension, technological control, and morally ambiguous human-machine conflict.
The Machine
Shares a contained techno-thriller structure, escalating distrust, and questions about consciousness and exploitation.
Movie Details
- Director
- Alex Garland
- Release Date
- 2015-01-21
- Runtime
- 108 min
- Rating
- 7.6 / 10 (14624)
Cast
- Domhnall Gleeson
- Alicia Vikander
- Oscar Isaac
- Sonoya Mizuno
- Corey Johnson
- Claire Selby
- Symara A. Templeman
- Gana Bayarsaikhan
- Tiffany Pisani
- Elina Alminas
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Hulu
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, FlixFling, Spectrum On Demand
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, FlixFling
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Ex Machina about?
- A young programmer is drawn into a secluded artificial-intelligence test where every human gesture may be part of a calculated experiment.
- What is Ex Machina like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Ex Machina as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Ex Machina violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Ex Machina as moderate.
- What did critics think of Ex Machina?
- Critics broadly praised the film as an intelligent, stylish, tightly controlled science-fiction thriller with strong performances and provocative ideas about artificial intelligence, consciousness, and power.
- Which films are like Ex Machina?
- Films with a similar feel include Her, Under the Skin, The Truman Show, and The Machine.
- How long is Ex Machina?
- Ex Machina runs 108 minutes.
- Where can I watch Ex Machina?
- In United States, Ex Machina streams on Hulu.
