Ex Machina
Written and Directed by Alex Garland
Starring: Domhnall Gleeson, Alicia Vikander, Oscar Issac, Sonaya Mizuno
I’m going to try to tell you how great this movie is without telling you exactly why. It’s the story of a young programmer, Caleb, (Gleeson) at a very large Internet company, who’s chosen to perform a Turing test on an humanoid (Vikander)created by the company’s creator, Nathan. (Issac).

Caleb is flown to a remote island where his assignment is laid out for him. The humanoid is Ava and he will spend most of his time with her, assessing his employer’s success in advancing the technology, in taking AI to a new level. This process will occur over a one-week period.

Caleb also spends time with Nathan, which is decidedly less enjoyable. The humanoid seems more human that her creator. But then anyone would.

And that is really all you need to know.

This is an almost flawless movie. It looks great, the acting is superb and the ideas presented are sophisticated yet you are given the tools to follow them. I am increasingly impressed by Issac who seems to be able to step into any role. What a surprise to get a movie like this in April!

Patti Abbott
In addition to being the Crimespree Senior Film Critic, Patti has penned numerous short stories and her debut novel, CONCRETE ANGEL, will be published on June 9th . She hosts a look at Forgotten Books every Friday with readers, writers and reviewers at pattinase.blogspot.com. She hopes you’ll join in.