What Does The Ending Of Ex Machina Really Mean?

What's The Story?

Before getting into the particular questions about the ending and its wider themes, let's get everyone on the same page with a quick run down of the story, which has various rug-pull moments for both the characters and the audience.

Caleb (Gleeson) is a coder at a Google-esque company who wins a raffle to go spend a week with the CEO in his isolated futuristic home. Once there, the CEO, Nathan (Isaac), reveals the real reason Caleb's been brought there is to serve as the human part of a Turing Test on newly developed A.I., Ava (Vikander).

The film doesn't spend that long on defining a Turing Test, but it's essentially a measure on artificial intelligence where a person tries to distinguish between an A.I. and a human. The version presented in the film, however, is a purposely warped one, breaking many of the steadfast definitions.

As is common in near-future sci-fi, things are not as they seem. Caleb correctly deduces he wasn't picked at random and Ava reveals in secret that he shouldn't trust Nathan, as evidence mounts up the billionaire may have a nefarious hidden agenda.

Over the course of the week, Caleb begins to develop feelings for Ava and question whether it's reciprocated - a fact that would define her as a conscious intelligence. As it becomes apparent Nathan will destroy Ava at the end of the week, Caleb plots to help her escape.

And What Happens At The End?

Nathan figures out what Caleb's up to and reveals the test's true purpose; he wanted to bait Ava with the possibility of escape and see if she would manipulate Caleb into helping her. But it all comes too late - Caleb's trap springs and Ava gets released from her confinement.

With the help of the house's robot assistant, she kills Nathan, then uses the remains of previous A.I. to craft herself a human exterior. Leaving Caleb locked in Nathan's room, she heads into the real world.

OK, so that's the broad strokes. Now to go a little bit more in-depth.