Screenwriter's Series: Alex Garland
The Screenwriters Series will examine the filmography of a screenwriter with the hope of finding out what helped them break into the industry or continue to find success. "Story By" credits will not be used: only films with official WGA Screenplay credit per IMDb will be used. This includes screenplays with multiple writers that may or may not have collaborated.
THIS MONTH'S SCREENWRITER: Alex Garland
MOVIE: Ex Machina (2014)
Starring:
Domhnall Gleeson as Caleb
Oscar Isaac as Nathan
Alicia Vikander as Ava
Sonoya Mizuno as Kyoko
Director: Alex Garland
Budget: $15 Million
Box Office:
Opened: $237,264
Final: $25.4M
Plot:
After winning a work contest, Caleb finds himself swept away to his reclusive boss Nathan's house deep in the mountains for a secret project. Nathan has developed an AI named Ava and wants Caleb to run a Turing Test on her to see if she could pass as human. Ava's very human movements and behavior fascinate Caleb, with him believing she could pass the test. He also begins to notice Nathan's erratic behavior and after listening to Ava's warnings, believes that Nathan may have sinister intentions. As he plots an escape plan, the mysterious truth about Ava and Nathan slowly becomes clear.
The Script:
This was a fantastic script, playing out pretty much beat for beat as the film. Garland's skill at description is at an all-time high here, with a lot of Nathan's house being planned and described here in the script. Garland has a vision and I think without him directing his own script, a lot of the detail and characterization would have been lost.
My Review:
I was blown away by this movie in theaters and it continues to be one of my favorite sci fi films.
Alicia Vikander dominates this movie as Ava. She plays her role perfectly, giving the audience and characters subtle reasons why you should or should not trust her. Equally as good is Oscar Issac. Nathan is a complicated character who always knows more than he is letting on, which, coupled with his erratic and wild behavior makes him untrustworthy in the process. When you think things couldn't get any weirder, a seemingly out of place dance sequence arrives, which not only adds a brief moment of levity but also speaks volumes to Nathan's personality. In a movie that features many memorable scenes, this has and will always be a highlight.
Whether this was actually Garland's directorial debut or not, he knocks it out of the park. Using his favorite theme of humanity, he creates a suspenseful and terrifyingly realistic film that is also gorgeous to look at. Knowing how important Ava is to the plot, he wisely spent a lot of time on her design and the special effects needed to bring her to life. It won the Oscar for Visual Effects for a reason, upsetting the favorite Star Wars: The Force Awakens. There are few debuts as good as this.
Critical reception:
92% on Rotten Tomatoes
British Independent Film Awards Winner- Best Screenplay
Screenwriters Choice Awards, Online Winner- Best Original Screenplay
Seattle Film Critics Awards Winner- Best Screenplay, Original
Academy Award Nominee- Best Writing, Original Screenplay
BAFTA Award Nominee- Best Original Screenplay
BAFTA Award Nominee- Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer
AACTA International Award Nominee- Best Screenplay
Saturn Award Nominee- Best Writing
Alliance of Women Film Journalists EDA Award Nominee- Best Writing, Original Screenplay
Austin Film Critics Association Nominee- Best Original Screenplay
Awards Circuit Community Awards Nominee- Best Original Screenplay
British Screenwriters Awards Nominee- Best British Feature Film Writing
Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards Nominee- Best Original Screenplay
Central Ohio Film Critics Association Nominee- Best Original Screenplay
Chicago Film Critics Association Awards Nominee- Best Original Screenplay
Denver Film Critics Society Nominee- Best Original Screenplay
European Film Awards Nominee- European Screenwriter
Florida Film Critics Circle Awards Nominee- Best Original Screenplay
Georgia Film Critics Association Nominee- Best Original Screenplay
Gold Derby Awards Nominee- Original Screenplay
International Online Cinema Awards Nominee- Best Original Screenplay
Kansas City Film Critics Circle Awards Nominee- Best Original Screenplay
North Carolina Film Critics Association Nominee- Best Original Screenplay
Online Film & Television Association Nominee- Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen
Online Film Critics Society Awards Nominee- Best Original Screenplay
Phoenix Critics Circle Nominee- Best Screenplay
Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards Nominee- Best Original Screenplay
San Diego Film Critics Society Awards Nominee- Best Original Screenplay
San Francisco Film Critics Circle Nominee- Best Screenplay, Original
St. Louis Film Critics Association Nominee- Best Original Screenplay
Village Voice Film Poll Nominee- Best Screenplay
Washington DC Area Film Critics Association Awards Nominee- Best Original Screenplay
Writers' Guild of Great Britain Nominee- Best Screenplay
Garland was also nominated in many of the same award circles as the Producer as well as Director of the film.
Up Next: Annihilation (2018)