Ex Machina, 2014

The events of Ex Machina could happen very soon, and that’s part of the reason why this Alex Garland flick is such an effective use of science fiction. It follows Caleb (Domhnall Gleeson), a programmer at an SEO company who wins a chance to spend a week with the company’s eccentric and elusive CEO, Nathan Bateman (Oscar Isaac). When he arrives at the incredibly remote compound, he learns that he’s there to help Bateman determine if his incredibly advanced AI companion named Ava (Alicia Vikander) is capable of real human consciousness, and if Caleb can relate to her despite the nature of her creation.

But Ex Machina quickly transitions into a thriller—Bateman is erratic and seemingly cruel to his creations, and Ava wants Caleb’s help in escaping the compound. The two seem to fall in love, pushing the boundaries of what AI is capable of, just for us to learn that Ava goes even further beyond those boundaries. The film’s twists are delicious, Vikander is a vision, the android girl power on display gave me the kind of unbridled confidence only a white man knows, and, of course, we got this absolutely bonkers scene from Isaac that will forever be seared in my memory. — Alyssa Mercante