10 Best Directorial Debut Films Of The 21st Century (So Far)
7. Ex Machina
British writer and director Alex Garland’s sci-fi thriller Ex Machina garnered mass appraisal from audiences and critics alike when it was released back in 2014, and its popularity has only continued to grow as the movie's aged. The film features a stellar cast, including its breakout star Alicia Vikader, as well as Star Wars alumni Domhnall Gleeson and Oscar Isaac.
Ex Machina is a claustrophobic tale exploring the relationship between humans and artificial intelligence, and how initial curiosity can lead to devastating consequences.
Considering it’s a film heavily focused on technology and science, there is also an anthropological approach. Themes and emotions you would associate with humans such as ambition, attraction, and - spoiler alert - betrayal are focal elements that make Ex Machina so intriguing.
It should be said that the picture doesn’t just feature within this list due to that unforgettable dancing scene… but seriously, who knew Oscar Isaac had moves like that in his locker?
The film has a very Black Mirror feel and tone to it in that it’s creepy, gripping and keeps you hooked through immense suspense. Inhabiting a genre that historically has big-money backing behind it with a mere budget of only $15 million, Ex Machina is an intimate and indie-style take on a subject matter that is growing increasingly real and terrifying by the day.