ANNIHILATION from Ex Machina Writer/Director (87% Rotten Tomatoes Score)

[Clear Winner]

After super advanced and technological nation of Wakanda, a highly trained military unit of women does not surprise me one bit. SJW at its finest

Even TV series are getting SJWed. Anyone seen Godless lol? Men died in mine explosion in a town so the town is now ran by women. Hollywood is erasing white men at any opportunity.

 

[Bagatur]

lol at the reviews posted above. an acquired taste? that is another way of saying "oh no, it doesnt suck. you just dont get it".

 

[MusterX]

I must be the only person who thought Ex Machina asked me to believe too many things up front for me to buy into it

What did you want, a 3.5 hour movie that explained the intricacies creating advanced A.I.? The kicker with a sci-fi like Ex Machina is that it will become a reality.

 

[Spoken]

It seems from the trailers that they had a problem trying to market this movie. Is it really an Alien/Thing mashup? Or is that what they threw at the brainstorming whiteboard that stuck?

IMO after Ex Machina you'd think the studio would have a little faith.

Well, the faith was giving the dude a 40million budget for a sci fi film, which generally don’t do super amazing at the box office. My guess is the director’s first film, Portman, and the success of Arival gave them some confidence... and that Blade Runner and poor test screenings, which essentially told them the film was too heady, took some of that away. Reasonable, I’d say.

The books are interesting. And they don’t tell you what’s going on until you’re in the thick of it. So I can see why marketing it would be tough.

But I’m excited as fuck for this movie. Ex Machina is one of the best films of the decade

 

[MusterX]

It didn’t jive with test audiences. Essentially the movie was too smart, and after seeing what happened with other high IQ science fiction recently, I think they decided that Netflix would better help recoup the 40 million dollar budget.
Of course, if it ends up doing really well they could kick themselves, but it seems like they were too uncertain.

What do you mean "too smart?" Sometimes the audience just sees through the bullshit message. That was my fear on seeing the trailer is that it was a stop climate change movie, thinly veiled as sci-fi and horror.

 

[Spoken]

lol at the reviews posted above. an acquired taste? that is another way of saying "oh no, it doesnt suck. you just dont get it".

Literally this was the test screening info. Folks walked out scratching their heads. Of course critics like it...

A buddy of mine who does philosophy of film and is a critic likes movies that I can’t get into. It’s almot like he has categories of thought that I don’t have, despite my own philosophical training. His lens reveals something about various movies that I don’t see. Same could be said for the average movie goer not getting into a more complex film like Annhilation

 

[Treeloy]

Ex Machina was a great movie, ill be watching this for sure

 

[Spoken]

What do you mean "too smart?" Sometimes the audience just sees through the bullshit message. That was my fear on seeing the trailer is that it was a stop climate change movie, thinly veiled as sci-fi and horror.

Themes are too heady, implications too philosophical, story demands thinking through ideas rather than giving you a fully explained narrative. That kind of thing

Also, nothing to do with climate change. All female cast isn’t anything to do with feminism or PC culture either. The reasons are well explained in the book

 

[liljoe]

After super advanced and technological nation of Wakanda, a highly trained military unit of women does not surprise me one bit. SJW at its finest

Even TV series are getting SJWed. Anyone seen Godless lol? Men died in mine explosion in a town so the town is now ran by women. Hollywood is erasing white men at any opportunity.

Yet, if it were a team of all men, you wouldn't bat an eye. Right?

 

[MusterX]

Themes are too heady, implications too philosophical, story demands thinking through ideas rather than giving you a fully explained narrative. That kind of thing

Also, nothing to do with climate change. All female cast isn’t anything to do with feminism or PC culture either. The reasons are well explained in the book

Saying that the theme is too heady and the implications are too philosophical is so vague, its the same as saying nothing.

 

[Spoken]

Saying that the theme is too heady and the implications are too philosophical is so vague, its the same as saying nothing.

Well, I haven't seen the film. I've read the books, and I will say that the themes have philosophical implications far more complicated than most movie goers are going to be interested in exploring. Further, it's rather spars narrative style demands imaginative thinking from the audience. I can't speak for film on this, but in literature, it's pretty normal sparse narratives (paratactic style, if you will) often implies a more difficult to imagine text.
Regarding the film, the only thing I have seen are the press releases which essentially uses the same language: "too intellectual" and "too complicated" were the major themes of the feedback. Obviously the film is being reviewed well; but this doesn't mean it'll strike a cord with the general audience.

 

[moreorless87]

Honestly exclusive TV series doesn't bother me since that's always been the case, just with certain TV stations taking the monopoly but being able to view films in the most effective fashion on the big screen is not something I want to loose, nore is the ability to view them on a one off basis and indeed own them on DVD/BR.

 

[KnightTemplar]

Yeah, I'm going to pass on this one.

 

[OverCoronavirus Pressure]

What did you want, a 3.5 hour movie that explained the intricacies creating advanced A.I.? The kicker with a sci-fi like Ex Machina is that it will become a reality.

I wanted to be able to believe he did all that himself while at the same time being an isolated drunken idiot, but it broke my suspension of disbelief constantly.

 

[MusterX]

I wanted to be able to believe he did all that himself while at the same time being an isolated drunken idiot, but it broke my suspension of disbelief constantly.

Seems like a minor sticking point on a great movie. Didn't they explain it as he was a super genius that was so gifted and smart that people would drool to be invited to his place like Caleb was? As far as him drinking, it seems to fit right in with reality. Some of the brightest most intelligent and creative people in history had drinking and drug vices.

 

[moreorless87]

Seems like a minor sticking point on a great movie. Didn't they explain it as he was a super genius that was so gifted and smart that people would drool to be invited to his place like Caleb was? As far as him drinking, it seems to fit right in with reality. Some of the brightest most intelligent and creative people in history had drinking and drug vices.

It was pretty clearly inferred that he didn't do "all that himself" either and that a lot of the parts he was using were coming in from outside and being assembled by him.

I mean the film as a whole was obviously misdirection looking at alpha and beta male stereotypes but I don't think they pushed Nathan so far that he was unbelievable, I felt he clearly gave off the impression of confident intelligence despite the hard drinking.

 

[liljoe]

For those that want to get spoiled, this guy gives a full rundown of the movie. SPOILERS!!

Pretty funny narration too. Sounds like a Sherdogger.

 

[OverCoronavirus Pressure]

Seems like a minor sticking point on a great movie. Didn't they explain it as he was a super genius that was so gifted and smart that people would drool to be invited to his place like Caleb was? As far as him drinking, it seems to fit right in with reality. Some of the brightest most intelligent and creative people in history had drinking and drug vices.

The plot conveniences are the lynchpin of the film.

 

[KONG-D'SNT-TAP]

After super advanced and technological nation of Wakanda, a highly trained military unit of women does not surprise me one bit. SJW at its finest

Even TV series are getting SJWed. Anyone seen Godless lol? Men died in mine explosion in a town so the town is now ran by women. Hollywood is erasing white men at any opportunity.

You sound like such a beotch.

 

[MusterX]

The plot conveniences are the lynchpin of the film.

So basically what you are saying is, it is unbelievable that we would create true A.I.