4. Batteries Not Included - Ex Machina
An electrifying performance from the stunning Alicia Vikander was complimented by an assured Oscar Isaac and the ever-improving Domhnall Gleeson in instant sci-fi classic Ex Machina. Written and directed by British novelist-turned-film-maker Alex Garland (who twice wrote screenplays for Danny Boyle in the form of 28 Days Later and Sunshine), this claustrophobic film took the AI yarn and spun a story that felt fresh, with as much heart as it has suspense. No film is perfect, however, and as close to it as Ex Machina is to that mark, it has a pretty big plot hole to answer to. After he is locked in his quarters, Caleb states that he has re-coded the system so that all doors would automatically open in case of a power failure, though he is still somehow locked inside when Ava shuts the power down to make her escape, even though the blinking red lights suggest that the back-up has kicked in. In any case, Ava is aware that she is battery powered (as she admits to causing the power cuts by overloading her battery charger) so surely she is smart enough to realise that she will only last so long outside of the facility? Also, why would Nathan actually bother to build the complex circuit necessary to enable a battery-powered device to discharge into its own charger, especially when his aim was to make that device sentient? Doesnt really add up, does it?