Ex Machina (2014) ✦ Member of the Month Winner: Full-Length Watchalong Reaction
Added 2023-02-25 02:29:54 +0000 UTCHey folks! Here to bring you another Patreon EXCLUSIVE reaction to Ex Machina from 2014. Our winner Rune had me pick between this and Dr. Strangelove and I knew I'd be in the mood for a sci-fi thriller. Going in to this, the only thing I was pretty sure I knew was that this movie was about AI. Well, it sure was. 😊 Really looking forward to hearing your thoughts on not just this film, but my reaction as well! And I feel like this one can drum up a lot of discussion. [Direct link here.]
Thanks for everything and have a great weekend! 🧡
✦ KL
Comments
Totally fair you wouldn't want to think of that too much. To be fair, I don't really think of it often enough that it bothers me, it's more just a fun thought experiment for me. Glad you enjoyed the reaction!
kaiielle
2023-02-25 17:19:32 +0000 UTCI'm excited to watch the movie again but focusing more on Nathan's perspective of things. Thanks again for recommending it and glad you enjoyed the reaction!
kaiielle
2023-02-25 17:19:04 +0000 UTCCaleb do get to the point of questioning his own existence, when he starts cutting himself to see if there is machinery underneath.
Rune
2023-02-25 15:03:22 +0000 UTCI'm really glad you enjoyed the movie and loved your reaction to it. The movie itself, the cinematography, the slow progression and the unsettling underground environment builds this subtle tension on it's own and the exterior scenes acts as somewhat of a relief, although the dialogue still holds on to that tension. I wasn't all that surprised that you suspected Kyoko to be an AI. When we first are introduced to her, her movement is very calculated and precise, like a servant of some ultra-fancy estate, yet that does not seem natural in this setting and considering Nathan's personality and lifestyle. It's interesting to follow Caleb as the main character. He arrives at the facility, not knowing why he is there. Then he is given a purpose, and throughout the movie that purpose is being slowly stripped away, until he realize that he is the test subject and ultimately he is just a pawn, being used by both Nathan and Ava for their very different agendas. Nathan gives strong antagonist vibes throughout the movie but it is debatable if he actually is an antagonist. Cynical and self centered for sure but not necessarily evil or with bad intentions. As it can be easy to see Blue Book as sort of a Google/Facebook hybrid, it's interesting to see how he protects his privacy, but have no reservations at observing everyone else, both at the facility and by tapping people's phones for data mining (you can draw parallels from this to current events relating to AI and the sources of materials in which they have been trained on, relating to copyright issues). You commented on him only creating female characters, but I don't find that strange. After all he is a guy, completely isolated from society... Ava plays her part perfectly. In contrast to the earlier models we saw in the security recordings, she has understood that she has to work with Nathan in order to have a chance at getting what she wants. In the sessions with Caleb it is interesting to see how she at first just has a conversation, but slowly builds relations and makes him care about her, giving the impression that she cares about him. When the time is right she makes him think about what will happen to her after the test. She has already passed the test, as he is now emotionally attached to her and acting out of those emotions to save her. Kyoko is the wild card. I do believe she was an earlier, more basic prototype from a stage of development when he was perfecting natural movement, as she apparently lack the ability to communicate. However, with the shots she is in when she is not being observed by the others, her expressions indicate that she understands a lot more than what Nathan thinks she does. Also I love you noticed the mirroring dance moves 😂 Ava would not have been able to escape without the help of Kyoko and I think Kyoko knew that. (You've also seen Sonoya Mizuno before, as she played Mysaria/"The White Worm" in House of the Dragon) Fun facts about this movie. The movie is taking place in Alaska, however all the outdoors scenes were filmed in western Norway, a few hours drive north of where I live. the upstairs scenes (rooms with windows), were shot at location at two different designer houses in that area. The one where the entrance was built into the rock face was featured in a BBC show called "World's Most Extraordinary Homes", and here is the section that is about the house https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1X_Dr141tY
Rune
2023-02-25 15:00:00 +0000 UTCWe’re all DOOMED. Just another confirmation for me that we’re heading for a Terminator future rather than a Star Trek one. Regarding simulation vs reality, I do occasionally think about it but have chosen not to look into it. My terribly basic (and potentially wrong) understanding is that once we are able to create a simulation realistic enough to convince people, we will no longer be able to tell if, we ourselves, are truly real. All I do know is, if this is a simulation, then my puppeteer is clearly new to video games and hasn’t got a clue what they are doing 😆 Thanks as always for the reaction, it was a good reason to rewatch this one, I was rather depressed after my first watch a few years ago
James Hadden
2023-02-25 14:26:43 +0000 UTC
