78
Metascore
42 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 100It plays like Frankenstein meets Blade Runner via Hitchcock haunted by the ghosts of Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations, in a film that’s both highly literate and steeped in tense cat-and-mouse chills. Thematically epic – it demands to be seen at least twice and should fuel hours of debate — structurally it’s as lithe as Ava’s perfect mesh frame.
- 100The PlaylistOliver LytteltonThe PlaylistOliver LytteltonThe picture is a triumph: it's arguably Garland’s tightest and most fascinating screenplay to date, brought to life with meticulous filmmaking and sensational performances. It's the first great film of 2015.
- 80EmpireDan JolinEmpireDan JolinStylish, elegant, tense, cerebral, satirical and creepy. Garland’s directorial debut is his best work yet, while Vikander’s bold performance will short your circuits.
- 80The TelegraphRobbie CollinThe TelegraphRobbie CollinThis is bewitchingly smart science fiction of a type that’s all too rare. Its intelligence is anything but artificial.
- 80CineVueCineVueEx Machina exposes the insecurity of the male ego by showing his lust for creation as simply another strand in the patriarchal power game. The film's trajectory forms a thrilling, exciting corrective.
- 60The Hollywood ReporterStephen DaltonThe Hollywood ReporterStephen DaltonThe story ends in a muddled rush, leaving many unanswered questions. Like a newly launched high-end smartphone, Ex Machina looks cool and sleek, but ultimately proves flimsy and underpowered. Still, for dystopian future-shock fans who can look beyond its basic design flaws, Garland’s feature debut functions just fine as superior pulp sci-fi.
- 60Time Out LondonTrevor JohnstonTime Out LondonTrevor JohnstonVikander’s spellbinding, not-quite-human presence (her synthetic skin is silky yet creepy) keeps us watching. But an only-too-obvious ‘twist’ and some clunky plotting...drain much of the credibility from a story which promised so much.
- 60The GuardianPeter BradshawThe GuardianPeter BradshawWith a sly dreaminess, Vikander steals the movie from the two males.