'Ex Machina' Looks Like A True Transhumanist Thriller

The latest sci-fi opus from director Alex Garland, responsible for writing such films as 28 Days Later, Sunshine and Never Let Me Go,  opens later this month in the U.K.

Ex Machina stars Domhnall Gleeson as Caleb, a timid programmer who, in a Wonka-esque twist of fate, wins the chance to spend a week with the reclusive CEO (Oscar Isaac) of the company he works for in his luxurious compound estate secluded in the mountains. However, Caleb soon realizes that he's been chosen to participate in a bold new experiment in artificial intelligence; An experiment that could yield profound and terrible consequences for both himself and the human race.

The film comes out on January 23rd in the U.K., with an official theater release run in the U.S. on April 10th courtesy of A24 Pictures. I would love to write-up a review on this one when or if it comes out via streaming.

I'm a little worn-down with immensely promising premises being diluted and squandered on SFX-saturated popcorn action-thrillers, but if Garland's track record is any indication we might have a true trans-humanist thriller on our hands. Besides, any film that has a trailer scored by DJ Shadow circa '96 is already a winner in my book.

If You Haven't Read It Yet: Ex Machina

While some have been reading comic books and graphic novels their entire lives, I only made the endeavor about three years ago. While my range of readings may not be on the same level as some, I do enjoy a huge variety of genres, my favorite of which still rests within the superhero subset (weird, right?). 

Recently, my roommate has been pushing me to start the Ex Machina series, a title I knew nothing about other than being written by Brian K. Vaughan (Y: The Last Man). After picking up the first trade, I must admit, this may be my new favorite series. 

The story follows David Hundred, current mayor of New York City who also happens to have the ability to control any electronic device just by talking to it. I don't want to get too much into the story, because a lot happens and it's all bad-ass. Essentially Hundred finds himself taking on villains with similar abilities, all caused by the same freak accident. With nothing fully explained, you'll find yourself guessing what happens next the entire ride through. It's a politically driven book that tackles many of today's issues while also throwing an amazing cyberpunk/superhero twist. It's amazingly awesome.

Seriously, if you haven't read the series I suggest you pick it up ASAP