Ex Machina

Narrative:• Caleb Smith a programmer at a huge Internet company, wins a contest that enables him to spend a week at the private estate of Nathan Bateman, his

firm's brilliant CEO. When he arrives, Caleb learns that he has been chosen to be the human component in a Turing test to determine the capabilities and consciousness of Ava, a beautiful robot. Ava represents a human female however there are parts of her skin which are transparent so you can see her inner mechanisms. Caleb becomes very close to Ava as she starts to show emotion and is a support for him. She then wants to go on a date with Caleb. She reveals she can use her battery charging facilities to trigger power outages that temporarily shut down the surveillance system that Nathan uses to monitor their interactions. The power outages also trigger the building's security system, locking all the doors. During one such outage, Ava says Nathan is a liar who cannot be trusted. Caleb later finds out that as Nathan improves his AI any obsolete robots are erased and reprogrammed. Caleb encourages Nathan to drink until he passes out, then steals his security card to access Nathan's room and computer. He alters some of Nathan's code, then discovers footage of Nathan testing earlier robot models, during which the nature of their incarceration causes the robots to damage themselves trying to escape. Caleb fears that Nathan is going to reprogram Ava and essentially kill her, so he promises to help Ava escape. Nathan reveals that he recorded this conversation with a battery-powered camera. He explains that Ava may have merely pretended to like Caleb in an attempt to escape. He then explains to Caleb that Ava, by using a variety of human skills (resourcefulness, charm, etc.), has passed the test. Suddenly, the planned power loss is triggered by Ava. Nathan gloats in the unsuccessful escape attempt, however Caleb reveals that while Nathan was drunk the day before, he reprogrammed the doors. Ava leaves her apartment, and Nathan knocks Caleb unconscious. Nathan confronts Ava and breaks off one of her arms. While he is dragging her back to her confinement, Kyoko stabs Nathan in the back. Nathan smashes Kyoko's face in retaliation, killing her, but Ava then stabs him in the chest and back, killing him. She then locks Caleb in Nathan's room, takes skin and clothing from obsolete robots (making her look completely human) and leaves Caleb trapped in the facility. She boards the helicopter meant for Caleb, and enters society.

Representation:• In Ex Machina the male characters clearly have the power and are

quite sexist towards the female robots; mainly demonstrated through Ava.

• When you think of a robot you think about a machine which is told what to do- like a slave. Whereas a human is usually in control of themselves. With the men the humans and the women the robots its as though the film is showing how women are treated as though their purpose is to be slaves to men.

• Ava’s worth was also measured from a test which analysed how men responded to her- surely women are more than how men view them.

• However as Ava starts to show more control is suggests that actually men become the vulnerable people sending a message of ‘treat others how you wish to be treated’.

• The ending suggests a moral threat of technology overrun. The power of the female robot was so strong that she managed to trick the men who were originally her inventor and controller.

Institution:• Director: Alex Garland• Caleb: Domhnall

Gleeson• Nathan: Oscar Isaac• Ava: Alicia Vikander

Budget: $15,000,000Earning: $36,869,414 (Worldwide)Company: DNA films and Film4Release dates:UK- 21st January 2015USA- 14th March 2015Locations: Mainly in Norway however also in UK

Todorovs Theory:• Equilibrium: Caleb in his normal job as a programmer • Disruption: Winning the competition to visit Nathan,taking part in the Turing test

and becoming closer to Ava (the robot being tested)• Recognition: Nathan is actually quite evil and Ava tells Caleb this by saying ‘Nathan

is a liar who cannot be trusted’ during a system lockdown.• Attempt to repair: 1-Caleb encouraged

Nathan to become drunk to the stage were he passed out and then hacked his computer. 2- Caleb then tells Ava that he fears that Nathan will kill her so they run away together.• Disequilibrium: Ava turns completely and sets up caleb, kills Nathan, she leaves on

Calebs plane and enters society.

Propps Theory:• Hero: Caleb as he told Ava that Nathan was going to kill her but essentially

Ava actually saved herself.• Villain: Ava, however only at the end. Throughout the film Ava appears to be

the victim of Nathan yet she ends up killing Nathan. On the other hand people could feel as though she had no choice but to kill him and was actually a hero for doing so as it saved herself and fellow creations.• The donor: Nathan created the robots.• The dispatcher: Caleb as if hadn't ever entered Nathans private estate this

most likely would not have happened.• The princess: Ava in a way as she is being ‘saved’.