Why Film Geeks Should See Ex Machina Before Avengers: Age of Ultron

Earning fantastic reviews and sensational word-of-mouth during its limited release, Ex Machina plans to expand during these next few weekends in additional cities. The latest science fiction movie has a numerous amount of potential to connect with audiences including an original premise, an emerging filmmaker, a sleek look, effective trailers, and strong buzz.

However, Ex Machina needs to be a breakout hit rather quickly because May is a busy month for high profile summer blockbusters. Avengers: Age of Ultron and Mad Max: Fury Road will open distracting audiences. Both those big blockbusters share a sizable chunk of the young male geek audience that would make Ex Machina a hit. Let me tell you: Ex Machina deserves your box office dollars. It should be a priority over those summer blockbusters for a few reasons:

Embrace Original Sci-Fi
In an era where audiences are bombarded with countless, unoriginal movies, here comes Ex Machina trying to be different. I see people on social media and in comment sections in online articles frequently complain about the lack of high quality, original science fiction. I agree with them. Even the Blade Runner sequel makes me nervous for the future of sci-fi movies. The people who gripe about Hollywood making nothing unique better buy a ticket for Ex Machina.
Witness a New Genre Classic
With hundreds of movies opening each year, very few are remembered and will stand the test of time. (Sometimes these aren’t even the Oscar nominees/winners.) Ex Machina is the latest sci-fi classic. The best of the genre intrigues audiences with advanced technology, captures bold themes about humanity and allures your attention with dramatic thrills. Ex Machina accomplishes all of those things. It is something to behold and to see to believe.

Celebrate a Stunning Breakout Performance

Alicia Vikander is breathtaking as Ava the artificial intelligence character in Ex Machina. Embodying a complex, emotional performance of advanced machinery hindered by her creator, she enhances the startling glimpse of the evolution of perceived humanity via technology. Like some of the best effective and captivating supporting performances, you want to know what she is up to when she’s not on screen.

Support Cutting Edge, Indie Cinema

I’m confident A24 knows what they are doing offer this alternative to summer audiences. They need your support in order to continue doing so. Avengers: Age of Ultron will be playing in theaters for several weeks. Ex Machina might not play that long. You will have to help make it a hit thus generating additional buzz. In 2013, Roadside Attractions’ Mud held its own in multiplexes against Iron Man 3 and Star Trek into Darkness so it could happen again if you see Ex Machina immediately.

Leave the Theater Thinking About Something

There isn’t a better feeling coming out a movie that makes you think about the plot, the characters, and the themes. Having to process a complex and entertaining movie with other people like friends and the online film community is the best thing about a movie. I want more than the high of having fun at the movies. From digesting the plot to pondering the themes, Ex Machina will inspire enlightening conversation well after it ends. You will want to be a part of this discussion.

Sure you will have a very fun time watching The Avengers: Age of Ultron, and a lot of people will enjoy it. However, for people who like original and creative science fiction, don’t you want to see (and financially support) a high quality, sophisticated science-fiction movie like Ex Machina? This is your chance to do so. The movie industry and future audiences are counting on you. I regret not watching Ex Machina at the SXSW Film Festival especially when I read the reaction on Twitter. Now that I’ve seen it, trust me, you’ll want to see what everyone is talking about, too!

Please let us know your thoughts about Ex Machina in the comments.