Ex Machina (Blu-ray Review)

There’s something about A24’s Ex Machina that brings warm thoughts to my human mind.  Maybe it’s because of their sleeper hit last year, Under the Skin, which I could not get enough of or maybe it’s because this one seeds psychosis within your head, in the way that only a great artificial intelligence film can.  Yes, it’s true ladies and gentlemen, the psychological yet stylish thriller Ex Machina will leave you visually, sonically and emotionally enthralled when you give it a spin in your Blu-ray player of choice.  It blew everyone away at SXSW this year and now it’s time to be mind blown within the privacy of your own home.  I can personally guarantee these claims too.  This is my second go around with the flick, and while it’s not action packed like the theatrical trailer may have suggested, the film truly delivers by sucking you into one of the greatest human stories of artificial intelligence in our time, albeit in a slow burning fashion.  Ava, the robot in question here, will make you believe and heck, might even make you fall for her.  It’s actually hard to decipher what’s the more raw experience here, the interaction between the humans or that with the A.I.  Read on you shall!

Film

Ex Machina was written and directed by Alex Garland (writer of 28 Days Later, Dredd).  This is his directorial debut.  It stars Domhnall Gleeson (upcoming Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens, Unbroken), Alicia Vikander(upcoming The Circle, A Royal Affair) and Golden Globe nominated actor Oscar Isaac (upcoming Star Wars: Episode VII  – The Force Awakens, A Most Violent Year).  I don’t know about you, but after watching this film for the second time now, I can’t wait to see these gentlemen in Star Wars this December.  The 18th of the last month of the year can’t come fast enough.  How’s that for wishing your life away?  I digress.  Perhaps, maybe the real stars of this film are its composers, Geoff Barrow and Ben Salisbury.  Wow!  I digress again!

So Rotten Tomatoes certifies Ex Machina as fresh and bills the movie as a story about a breathtaking android (referred to as A.I. in the scientific community and throughout this feature) whose emotional intelligence proves more sophisticated-and more deceptive-than man could have imagined.  But what does that mean?  How did we get here?  Relax folks!  This review has just started.  For all of you who have yet to see Ex Machina, let me catch y’all up to speed.  Follow me.

Although this is a story about a girl, like in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man, we first begin with a tale about a boy.  The man of the hour here is a programmer named Caleb (Gleeson).  The movie wastes no time in setting things up.  Immediately upon hitting play on your Blu-ray remote, you see Caleb winning a competition to spend a week at the mountain estate of his company’s genius CEO (Isaac).  After a very awkward meeting, not to mention a very complex one-page NDA Caleb needs to sign, he discovers he has been chosen to take part in a study of artificial intelligence (A.I.).  So after signing this NDA Caleb is basically sworn to secrecy and cut off from the outside world.  He has no phone and worst of all no Internet.  However, it’s here where Caleb will meet a girl that will forever change his life.  Whether this meeting is for the good or the bad is what this film’s all about.  I’m just kidding it’s really much deeper than that.  Caleb’s subject is none other than this A.I. we’ve been beating around the bush hinting about, the oddly seductive Ava (Vikander).  From here on out, no house rules or instructions can prepare Caleb for how his week is going to turn out.  It’s Suspense 101, folks.

The only thing I can warn folks about here is that if you’re not one who likes a thoughtful science fiction film mixed with a slow burn, then look elsewhere or Ex Machina could leave you disappointed.  In my opinion there have been two great science fiction films released on Blu-ray this year.  No I am not talking about Jupiter Ascending (yuck!) or Tomorrowland (yawn), but instead Predestination and this one, Ex Machina.  It’s the journey this flick takes you on that will have you on the edge of your seat wondering what’s going to happen next.  It’s also the creep factor of Isaac’s character that will get you all unnerved, but that’s a separate topic all of it’s own.  He’s pure genius here.

So do you see the brilliance I am trying to shine light on here?  Ex Machina is very much a thinking man’s kind of movie (or women’s).  All others need not waste any time here.  It’s not a perfect one, but the tension here and inherent moral squabbles within will make you quickly forget about trying to nitpick any problems with the actual feature.

There are so many things to praise this movie for.  Like how about that minimal budget that was thrown at it?  Ha!  You can’t tell!  Maybe it’s my eyes, but this thing looks like a billion bucks.  It’s polished and crafted with intricacy.  However, here’s the real home run.  The film follows through on its initial concept and delivers a one-two uppercut to knock you on your arse in its shocking, riveting conclusion.  Just how smart is an A.I.?  Watch Ex Machina and find out just how seductive, manipulative and twisted one can be, not mention how gullible, trusting and foolish the human race really is.  It’s mad science gone so right here!

Video 

Ex Machina is a tough one to grade visually especially since there are so many sources for how they obtained the video.  Read on and I’ll tell you all about it down below.

• Encoding: AVC MPEG-4
• Resolution: 1080p
• Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1
• Clarity/Detail: Since there were a variety of cameras employed to capture Ex Machina, including a GoPro, your results will vary in the clarity and detail categories.  Some shots are razor sharp like in outdoor environments and even minute details in the porous concrete walls  that line Nathan’s research facility, but others can get a bit hazy, etc., depending upon where we’re at and of course what medium was used to acquire that footage.  However, don’t let me deter you either because there is fine detail abound to be marveled over here like the intricacy of what all makes up Ava, the rubbery skin of the androids and even the hairs in Nathan’s beard and the ones clearly missing on top of his head too.  In my opinion though, I kind of welcome the softness a bit here as it gives one an added pleasure to feel like they are watching a film, not a PBS HD documentary of a boy and his robot friend.
• Depth: The depth of field department is probably my favorite attribute here because it excels from the breathtaking views in the beginning when the helicopter takes off, walking along the river in the forest and even in the hallways within Nathan’s research facility.
• Black Levels: Black levels are above average through this presentation, but not the deepest and inkiest you expect to witness on the Blu-ray format.  This all results in some shadow levels not being all their cracked up to be either, but again, minor details.
• Color Reproduction: The color is a hard one to grab here because as a reviewer you don’t want to knock the HD score just because of the filmmaker’s intention.  Let’s just say while drab, the colors are very soft, natural and lifelike.  However, when called upon the bright Blu-ray colored lights that are scattered throughout Nathan’s research facility really pop in contrast and draw your eyes to them.
• Flesh Tones: The skin tones are lifelike and natural throughout, incredibly even on the androids too.  Haha.
• Noise/Artifacts: For me, other than a few moments of haze, there was nothing really noticeable that would keep me from enjoying what I saw in this presentation.

Audio 

• Audio Format(s): English DTS:X Audio, DTS Headphone:X Audio, English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and English 5.1 DTS Digital Surround Audio
• Subtitles: English SDH, English, Spanish
• Dynamics: Well where do we start here?  This one is all over the place the way it utilizes the brilliant score to change the moods and increase the tension levels is simply a masterpiece, much like my mad praise for the score in last year’s Under The Skin.  So yeah, things get quite insane here as well as quite hypnotic in the slow bring phases.  All I got to say is that final scene of tension where the elevator doors shut and then quiet is probably one of the best on Blu-ray this year.  The crescendo the score hits is absolutely nuts and insane, in a very good way of course.
• Low Frequency Extension: The LFE channels serves to balance the score throughout.  It goes to sleep from time-to-time, but its there to do your bidding when needed and/or called upon.
• Surround Sound Presentation: Here’s where the score really reels you in and captivates you twirling all around you.  Sound effects and ambient noise also make themselves known, most notably with helicopters swirling overhead or as a result hearing the blades of grass rustling in the commotion.  It’s the little things like that happening all around you that really make this surround track a special one.
• Dialogue Reproduction:  Spoken words are clear and intelligible, never too loud and never too soft.

Extras 

The Blu-ray edition of Ex Machina includes extras such as an in-depth behind-the-scenes featurette, a Q&A with cast and crew from SXSW and eight miscellaneous vignettes.  In addition, this release also contains a voucher inside redeemable for the Digital HD UltraViolet version of the film.  For those looking for an iTunes compatible file, I’m sorry.  While that does not sound like a lot and sadly there’s no director’s commentary (how cool would that have been?), there’s actually some meat in terms of length (over two hours of bonus features) to go with these potatoes down below.  Let’s take a closer look at things under the microscope.

• “Through the Looking Glass: Creating Ex Machina” 5-Part Featurette (HD, 39:59) – This documentary, so to speak, is an in-depth behind-the-scenes featurette that examines the story development, the cast and characters, the production design, cinematography and location shooting in Norway, costumes and makeup and finally, visual effects along with a wrap-up.  So in other words, it’s quite an informative piece if I do say so myself.
• SXSW Q&A with Cast and Crew (HD, 1:00:57) – This panel interview was recorded n Austin, TX at SXSW on March 15, 2015.  The in-depth Q&A includes writer/director Alex Garland, star Oscar Isaac, director of photography Rob Hardy and composers Geoff Barrow and Ben Salisbury.  Considering I damn well live down here, I wish I could have been here for this!  Ha!  I digress yet again!
• Behind-the-Scenes Vignettes (HD, 28:40) – There’s a play all feature or you can watch all of these vignettes separately, but quite honestly a lot of it is repeated information.  The vignettes include the following titles: Making Ava, Nathan’s World, New Consciousness, Becoming Ava, Director, Cast, Meet Ava, God Complex and Music (not the Madonna song).

Summary 

So wow!  What can I say about this Blu-ray release of Ex Machina that I haven’t said already?  It rocks!  It will blow your mind!  Do you need more reasons?  Okay!  I can indulge.  Try this one on for size yet again.  Ex Machina is the first Blu-ray to feature DTS:X immersive audio technology!  DTS:X replicates and conveys the fluid movement of sound to create a richer soundscape than previously possible by moving sound to precisely where the mixer placed it.  Bam!  In your face!  How many Blu-rays can attest to being the first to present their film in DTS:X?  I can only think of one!  This one!  To top it all off, Ex Machina on Blu-ray contains more than two hours of bonus features and it comes with a Digital HD redeemable file.  What are you waiting for? Click on that order link down below and just buy it!  It’s the number two film of the year thus far!

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ORDER Ex Machina

On Blu-ray NOW!

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Brian White

Owner/Writer/Reviewer/Editor, Dreamer, Producer, Agent of Love, Film Lover, Writer of Screenplays and a Devoted Apostle to all things Ford Mustangs (the real ones with V8's!). Some of my favorite films include FIGHT CLUB, MOULIN ROUGE, THE DARK KNIGHT, STAR WARS alongside television shows such as SEINFELD, 24, SANFORD & SON and even the often loathed in the geek community BIG BANG THEORY. Outside of my three lives I live I also enjoy spending time with my girlfriend and our three girls (of the furry kind).