- Actors: Domhnall Gleeson, Alicia Vikander, Oscar Isaac, Chelsea Li, Corey Johnson
- Director: Alex Garland
- Disc Format: 4K, NTSC, Widescreen
- Language: English
- Subtitles: English, Spanish
- Number of discs: 2
- Rated: R
- Studio: LIONSGATE
- Release Date: June 6, 2017
- Run Time: 108 minutes
Independent
science fiction film Ex Machina is
the most inexpensive film to ever win an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects,
which makes it an obvious choice for a 4K upgrade, despite the simplicity of
the narrative. Even with the accolades, Ex
Machina is a thoughtful film focused on the characters and overall themes
rather than moments of special effects. The effects are secondary, though there
is no denying the visual enhancement of Ultra HD makes it all the more easy to become
immersed in the story.
The basic
premise of Ex Machina is far from
original, however expertly it is done. Our protagonist is a programmer named
Caleb Smith (Domhnall Gleeson) who has been chosen to visit the CEO of his
company, Nathan (Oscar Isaac), in his remote mountain estate. Once he arrives,
Caleb discovers that he has been chosen to participate in a series of tests
studying artificial intelligence that Nathan has created. Although Nathan has
several robots that he has created as the only company in his secluded home,
the primary focus of the study is a cyborg named Ava (Alicia Vikander). Her
artificial intelligence is so convincing that Caleb begins to question the
morality of keeping her locked up.
Despite
involving robots, there are no major explosions or high octane action sequences
in Ex Machina. More than anything
else, the film plays like a psychological thriller with the themes of a modern
day Frankenstein. We spend a majority of the film diving into the artificial
mind of Ava alongside Caleb, who begins to suspect that there is a bit of mad
scientist in Nathan and his experiments. These aren’t new themes for science
fiction films (in fact, they have been heavily excavated for HBO’s
“Westworld”), but still manage to come off fresh by the twists and turns of the
narrative and successfully committed performances from the small cast.
Even though this
may not be my first choice for a film to own on 4K, the wide depth of colors
makes the visuals even more impressive. This is simply a well made film, and if
you are going to own it, why not own the best possible version. The special
features have not been changed at all from the Blu-ray release, because the 4K
disc doesn’t actually have any extras. Thankfully, the package does come with a
Blu-ray copy with the previously released 5-part featurette and 8
behind-the-scenes vignettes. There is also a Q&A with the cast and crew
from SXSW. A digital HD copy is also included.
Entertainment Value:
7.5/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 8/10
Historical Significance:
8.5/10
Special Features: 7/10
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