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Ex Machina Returns to Netflix, Renewing a Prescient AI Thriller

Critics highlight Alicia Vikander’s on-set performance behind the film’s Oscar-winning effects.

Overview

  • Alex Garland’s 2014 sci-fi film is now streaming on Netflix, prompting a fresh wave of reassessment.
  • The story follows programmer Caleb Smith as he evaluates Ava, an advanced AI, in a modified Turing test at a remote tech compound.
  • Recent coverage frames the film as eerily relevant to today’s generative-AI debates and concentrated tech power.
  • Writers note that Vikander physically performed Ava on set, a contribution often overlooked next to the seamless visual effects.
  • Reviewers emphasize the confined setting, small cast, and dialogue-driven structure that create a tense, stage-play atmosphere.