Alex Garland debunked a popular theory about his critically acclaimed film Ex Machina. The 2014 science fiction thriller follows Caleb, a programmer who wins a contest to spend a week at the private estate of Nathan Bateman, his company’s CEO. When he arrives, Caleb learns that he has been chosen to take part in a Turing test with Ava, a robot that Nathan created. Upon its release, reviews for Ex Machina were fantastic, with ScreenRant giving the film an impressive score of 9 out of 10.

In a video for GQ, Garland responds to a Reddit theory that claims that Caleb is actually an android in Ex Machina, and that the whole movie is a Turing test for the audience. While the filmmaker thinks the theory is interesting, he claims that it is not true. However, Garland ᴀssumes that “smart” audience members would question whether Caleb is an AI in the film, which is why he included hints that things may not be as they seem. Read his comments and watch the full video below:

I made an ᴀssumption that a smart audience member at a certain point would say, “I know what’s going on here. Domhall Gleeson, you know, Caleb, yeah, he’s the AI. That’s really what’s happening.” That’s why there’s a scene where he cuts himself open, because he then starts to ask himself that question. But he’s not an AI, he’s a person.

What Garland’s Response To This Theory Means For Ex Machina

Caleb Is A Human In Ex Machina

In a Turing test, if a human is unable to confidently identify an AI from a human, then the machine pᴀsses. Therefore, this theory, which states that Garland is presenting a Turing test to audience members through Caleb in Ex Machina, is very intriguing. Since the release of the film, viewers have been debating whether Caleb is an AI or a human. Even though Garland confirms that Caleb is a human in Ex Machina, he admitted that he wanted audience members to have debates like this.

Unlike Caleb, Ava is actually a robot in Ex Machina. Ava proves to be much smarter than both Caleb and Nathan in the sci-fi film. At the end of Ex Machina, Ava manages to kill Nathan and locks Caleb in the research facility. Garland’s film is such an amazing sci-fi movie because viewers root for Ava by the end of it. Caleb’s fate in Ex Machina is not revealed, and he is last seen trying (and failing) to escape the research facility. However, Ava successfully manages to escape her imprisonment and enters the real world.

Our Take On Garland’s Response To This Ex Machina Theory

Garland Knew Viewers Would Think That Caleb Is An Android

Even though this intriguing theory isn’t true, Ex Machina is still one of Garland’s best movies. It’s interesting to learn that he predicted that viewers would want to believe this theory while watching the movie. Because of this forethought, Garland included hints in the film that lead viewers to believe Caleb may indeed be an android. Due to its thought-provoking nature, Ex Machina, is one of the best sci-fi movies of the century.

Source: GQ