Alexander Kozlov (Alex)

You'll know within the first five minutes whether this is a film you won't be able to appreciate or one you'll cherish for the rest of your life. I clearly fall in the second camp. Few comedies have made me laugh so consistently, so painfully, and remember their lines (almost daily) many years down the road. There's just no other movie of its design: an intentionally mis-dubbed Chinese martial arts action flick. The lines, acting, and editing is taken to ridiculous levels with an often self-aware flair to truly elevate the insane hilarity to the max. At the end of the day, however, the tone is in the vein of movies like Dumb and Dumber, so if you ride a high horse or your natural sense of humor dried up a long time ago, this isn't the film for you.

Ex Machina is an excellent film and story, with the final third full of plot holes. In general, it accomplishes what it sets out to achieve. Every scene holds tension, which expertly builds up to the end. The AI premise invites guesses on how the plot will play out, and the movie stays one or more steps ahead at all times. The performances leave nothing to be desired (and I was impressed with just how dynamic Hux and Poe show themselves to be as actors). The visuals are layered in artistic beauty and metaphor, complemented by spicy dialogue. The only fault is it all falls apart in the finale due to plot holes. Nevertheless, I admire the messages and overall take of the film. SPOILERS How does such a rich man, playing with fire and knowing the dangers, not keep a Walmart shotgun on hand? He is a genius; the emotion of the moment wouldn't override what he's been fearing and preparing for since day one. How does removing a chin kill an android? Why would Ava leave Caleb to rot when he's the only reason she escaped? Fake/simulated feelings or not, leaving him alive holds no danger - without a battery she's as good as dead. Of course, maybe she means to come back every day, somehow manipulating the pilot. How she would treat Caleb in this case is up in the air, which plays into the question of whether a human would do exactly the same after being trapped with an underdeveloped moral compass. The film doesn't address this detail, however. Whether you give credit to a lack of information is up to your personal bias.

Over two-thirds of the runtime is wasted on uneventful, flat dialogue. None of the actors connect with one another in deep, meaningful ways. The director likes little details in the background to build up the suspense, which is admirable. The number "five" is important but, given the satanic vibes, six would've been more appropriate. There needs to be a clear and present sense of danger (to the audience) in a story like this. Repeated false jump scares and the "figure standing/watching in the shadows" cliche just don't cut it. The production unintentionally looks like an amateur home movie at times. Some scenes make you question if the writer had any second opinion at all. A professional critic implied they expected the group to do a head count throughout, to see who's still with them, or alive. Leaning on that would've forced the pacing to pick up far sooner, and drastically changed the story for the better. What we got feels like it was concocted by a Mormon. If you drink or smoke, then you should just die; you're a monster on the inside and totally irredeemable. This story not only fails to explore the causes, dynamics, or potential solutions to substance abuse or suicide, but it fails to even create worthwhile characters or a decently-paced thriller. Captain Hindsight (What I would've done): Make the protagonist care about others, giving him good reason to stay/live. The absent brother is a hopeless degenerate. Have the main guy connect via history or interests to a few, and even inspire them to turn their lives around. Life isn't black and white, SHOW how some in the group are truly despicable, while others are just caught up in a hurtful world. As the rest get picked off, this plays with the theme of urgency in halting abuse. The first few deaths might look like accidents, the rest must serve to build suspense - becoming more obviously horrifying in a crescendo. The Predator-style gimmick of "not killing IF" must be toyed with, teased until the audience really is unsure of how this will end. E.g., one guy just really needs one more drink to himself after a close someone dies, and thus doesn't make it. In the end, a few make it out, eager to start anew - but did the change happen before, or after? The protagonist realizes his brother is worth fighting for. There is so much to work with here, it's a shame how it turned out.