When you declare something to among the best of all time or really any specific time frame, that’s a pretty big deal and there are movies that the label gets attached to that are certainly good but maybe don’t reach that level. And then there are movies that absolutely do — particularly when it comes to sci-fi. These are movies that find a perfect balance with different elements, delivering not just a strong, engaging story, but one full of suspense, tension, and that feels like an unsettling glimpse of what our world could look like in the not-too-distant future. Now, one such masterpiece is streaming for free on Tubi and it might just be more unsettling than ever.
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The movie we’re talking about is Alex Garland’s directorial debut, 2015’s Ex Machina. The film is widely regarded not only as one of the best sci-films in the last 20 years but is among the best sci-fi films ever made. It did exceptionally well with critics when it debuted and continues to receive praise more than a decade on but it’s also a lot more timely now, as AI becomes an increasingly integrated part of our lives and there are big questions about where our reliance on machines will take us and what it means for humanity.
Ex Machina Is An Excellent Movie That Only Gets Better (And More Unsettling)
Ex Machina is the story of Caleb (Domhnall Gleeson), a coder at a high-profile tech company who wins the opportunity to work with company CEO Nathan (Oscar Isaac) for one week. It turns out that Nathan has created a humanoid robot Ava (Alicia Vikander) with advanced AI and he wants Caleb to see if she is actually capable of thought and consciousness — to see how “human” she really is. As things progress, Caleb grows close to Ava and she even expresses a romantic interest in him but things soon take a dark turn.
The movie as it is even without real-world context and developments is brilliant. The performances of the entire cast are top notch, with Vikander in particular delivering a masterful performance as the android. The cinematography is also incredible, with a rich, artistic feel even for all of the high science at play which makes the movie an elegant watch. It lends to the unsettling tension throughout. However, when you add all of that to the way AI has started to incorporate into every aspect of our lives, Ex Machina feels even more brilliant and disturbing. We have already read headlines of situations where people have gotten too emotionally connected to AI chatbots and had catastrophic outcomes as a result and while we can’t say that AI has become sinister, it’s still deeply unnerving.
With Ex Machina being both a beautifully made and masterfully acted sci-fi thriller and it tapping into growing fears about AI in our own, real-world experiences, the film’s return to Tubi feels pretty timely. Maybe now is a perfect time to check out this all-time great for yourself.
Ex Machina is now streaming for free on Tubi.
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