Alex Garlandmay have introduced himself as a director withAnnihilation, but it was 2014’sEx Machinathat helped to cement him as a great sci-fi writer/director. Starring Alicia Vikander, Oscar Isaac, Domhnall Gleeson, and Sonoya Mizuno, the film follows Caleb, a young developer who is sent to his boss' idyllic villa to perform a Turing Test on his newest creation, a humanoid android named Ava. The film is as profound as it is mind-melting, which has led many fans to come up with their own theories online. Unfortunately, the most popular theory circulating among fans has just been denied by the director.
Alex Garland recently sat down with GQ to look back on his past movies, whilepromoting his new filmWarfare.Whilst on the topic ofEx Machina, where the director explained the idea behind the film and his personal casting process, Garland was also asked to clarify a popular fan theory. “There’s a Reddit theory out there that Caleb, Domhnall’s character, is actually an android and the whole movie is a Turing Test where the audience is the judge of it,” said the video’s producer. As cool as the theory sounds, Alex Garland wasted no time shooting it down, saying:
“No, no, there isn’t.”
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While Alex Garland denies the theory’s credibility within the context of the film, he also revealed that he’s very happy that audiences thought that, as that was one of his intentions when structuring the screenplay. “Although it’s interesting because there were various films I was super aware of- one of them was2001, which has within it, really a very, very good discussion of AI, but alsoBlade Runner,” Garland continued. “I made an assumption that a smart audience member would say, ‘I know what’s going on here.’ Domhnall Gleeson, Caleb, he’s the AI. That’s really what’s happening.'”
Alex Garland Disproved the Fan Theory Within ‘Ex Machina’
As far as fan theories go, it’s a cool one, and the fact that Garland knew audiences would think that while he was writing the film proves his expertise as a screenwriter. But, sadly for fans, it’s simply not true, as Garland wrote an entire scene with the sole intention of dispelling that idea from viewers' heads. He explained:
“That’s why there’s a scene where he cuts himself open because he then starts to ask himself that question, but he’s not an AI, he’s a person.”
Ex Machinareleased in theaters in 2014to great acclaim from fans and critics. The movie holds a strong 92% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with a similarly positive 86% audience score. The movie was also one of A24’s big early successes, before the studio would go on to produce and distribute mega hits likeEverything Everywhere All at Once, and Alex Garland’s ownCivil War. Garland has since re-teamed with A24 forWarfare, which he co-wrote and co-directed with Ray Mendoza, a former Navy SEAL, and the inspiration behind the film.
Ex Machina
