Researching Ex_Machina

Ex_Machina is a British psychological sci-fi film, directed by first-time director Alex Garland and produced by Andrew Macdonald and Allen Reich. The film was produced by smaller production companies Film4 and DNA Films, but was distributed by the renowned Universal Pictures. 

Cast

Domnhall Gleeson - Caleb

Oscar Isaac - Nathan

Alicia Vikander - Ava

Budget and Box Office figures

Since this film isn't a Hollywood Blockbuster, its budget was a modestly small $15 million. However, the film was a big success and totalled a figure of $36.9 million worldwide. 

Screening numbers

Ex_Machina was shown on a total of 1,255 screens on its opening weekend, which is a fairly large amount. In total, the peak number amount of screens in the USA was 2,004.

Technology 

A number of different cameras were used in the film, including a GoPro. The film was shot digitally at a 4K resolution on Sony CineAlta F65 and Sony CineAlta PMW-F55 cameras (£22,000 each). Surprisingly, no motion capture was used during filming and effects were added in post production by Double Negative:

Locations

The film was located in the UK (Pinewood Studios) and in various places in Norway. For example, Nathan's house is actually the Juvet Landscape Hotel (pictured below).

Critical reaction

The film received good reviews and was widely accepted by the public, despite its slower pace and smaller scale: it was rated 7.7 on IMDB, 93% on Rotten Tomatoes and 78% on Metacritic. These scores are all fairly high and certainly suggest that the film has left a lasting impact.