What happens when artificial intelligence meets a young, hormonally driven computer programmer? That is the question we are to answer in the new trailer A24’s Ex-Machina , a cerebral piece of science fiction/horror with stunning production values that is already generating quite the buzz.
This is the story of Caleb, a young man hired to run a Turing test, the measure of intelligence by the ability to imitate, on Ava, a beautiful artificial life form created by a reclusive CEO of a company called Bluebook.
Caleb is dropped in the middle of a secluded compound and placed inside a massive home of the future, which serves as a research facility for the A.I. This is where the real testing begins and, as events unfold, it quickly becomes apparent that things are not what they seem. Just who is the subject of the testing becomes murky as each member of the house faces extreme challenges due to the unusual nature of the situation.
Such is the nature of the Turing test. The goal is to create an artificial intelligence completely unaware that it is artificial. Ex Machina looks to set up the psychological thriller to be an exploration of what it is to be a human and what true intelligence really is. Film Pulse describes the film as an experiment on “a breathtaking A.I. whose emotional intelligence proves more sophisticated––and more deceptive––than the two men could have imagined.”
Ex Machina, while delivering on the old science fiction trope of artificial intelligence turning on its creators, seems to tackle the possibilities that arise when a machine is both intelligent and emotional, seemingly without any fail safes to protect humanity from its actions. The question arises who is being tested and what the results of these test mean for the characters.
The trailer for Ex Machina delivers on all fronts, a gorgeous robot played by Alicia Vikander, beautiful imagery, breathtaking scenery, suspense, intrigue, and a brilliantly creepy reclusive billionaire researcher played by award winner Oscar Isaac.
Reviews of the movie are already very positive. The Hollywood Reporter has nothing but positive things to say about A24’s stunning piece of science fiction.
“[Ex Machina is] a classy piece of cerebral sci-fi, with high production values and hot media buzz that should propel it beyond fanboy circles.”
Just how effective the test will be remains to be seen. For now, you will just have to wait until the movie hits theaters April 10, 2015.
[Image via Scriptshadow ]