8 Sci-Fi Movies Built On A Lie

7. Ex Machina

lucy scarlett johansson
Universal Pictures

Alex Garland's 2014 Ex Machina is a sci-fi offering built around artificial intelligence. To be more specific, it's about Domhnall Gleeson's Caleb being tasked with assessing Alicia Vikander's A.I. being, Ava.

That task is handed to programmer Caleb as a reward from his boss Nathan (Oscar Isaac), and it's fascinating to see the relationship between Caleb and Ava develop and play out. Before you know it, Caleb's job of testing Ava's intelligence and emotions becomes compromised when the two develop feelings for each other. Deciding to come up with a plan to break Ava out of Nathan's swanky mansion, that's when we get the realisation that Ex Machina had been constructed on a lie.

While Caleb was indeed selected to test Ava's A.I., the test was far deeper than he'd realised.

Instead, Nathan had brought Caleb in with the sole intention of him being a guinea pig for Ava to work her charms on. Nathan wanted to see whether Ava could manipulate Caleb to the point that he'd conjure up a plan for her to escape from Nathan's clutches - and the A.I. of Ava had managed to do just that.

Of course, this would backfire spectacularly for Nathan when he'd be stabbed and left for dead by Ava and fellow A.I. Kyoko. As for Caleb, he'd be left imprisoned in Ava's old 'living quarters' in Nathan's elaborate abode.

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