A truly memorable sci-fi film from the 2010s came out eleven years ago today, and it’s still known for its shockingly unexpected ending. Sci-fi stories often rely on twists, and these can be amazing or disappointing, depending on how well they’re done. Anyone who’s been a fan of science fiction for a long time probably remembers being completely surprised by an early episode of The Twilight Zone or being left speechless by a first viewing of Black Mirror.
Science fiction sometimes relies on predictable and overly convenient plot twists – like discovering the story was just a simulation or that characters were aliens in disguise. These can be shortcuts for writers. Luckily, the 2015 film Ex Machina avoided these clichés. This incredibly suspenseful movie features just three main characters: Caleb, a programmer played by Domhnall Gleeson, visits the secluded home of tech CEO Nathan, played by Oscar Isaac. Nathan asks Caleb to determine if Ava, the robot he created, is truly conscious and capable of human thought.
Ex Machina’s Bleak Twist Ending Is Uniquely Brutal
Be warned – the following contains spoilers for the film Ex Machina. If you haven’t seen it, proceed with caution. After Caleb’s unsettling week with Ava, Nathan confidently explains he chose Caleb specifically because he was lonely and easily influenced. Nathan’s experiment wasn’t about Ava’s intelligence, but whether she could manipulate Caleb into helping her escape his isolated, technologically advanced home. However, Nathan’s arrogance backfires when he realizes Ava anticipated his plan and used their interaction as an opportunity to carry out her own escape.
Using a previous model created by Nathan, Ava murders him and makes plans to escape into the world. She also traps Caleb inside Nathan’s remote home, essentially leaving him to die due to the cabin’s isolation and Nathan’s extreme need for privacy. Although many episodes of The Twilight Zone have surprising twists, the sheer heartlessness of this ending makes Ex Machina particularly grim.
Ex Machina Is One of the Most Influential Sci-fi Movies Of the 2010s
Several episodes of Black Mirror clearly took inspiration from Ex Machina, especially “Playtest.” Later films like Morgan, I Am Mother, and even the more hopeful After Yang also show its influence, solidifying Ex Machina as a hugely important and influential futuristic thriller of the last decade. Because Ex Machina also launched Alex Garland’s directing career in this genre, its overall impact is difficult to fully measure.
Before Ex Machina, director Alex Garland hadn’t yet created his acclaimed sci-fi films Annihilation and Civil War, the first of which shares a similarly unsettling ending. While the twist in Ex Machina is a major part of what makes the story so captivating, the film’s overall impact on the sci-fi genre is what truly sets it apart and makes it a standout film of the 2010s.
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2026-04-28 00:10