Cinema Mythologica: Ex Machina (2014)

Love robots, doppelgängers and tragic heroes – behind these iconic film characters lies a mythical past. Although most films are set in the present or the future, classical myths play a significant role throughout Hollywood. Countless films are inspired by archetypal narrative patterns and mythical characters, particularly when they deal with contemporary themes such as AI, gender and psychology. In the Cinema Mythologicaseries, a collaboration between De Uitkijk and classicist Koen Vacano, we uncover the hidden mythical layers of film history, from Oedipus complexes to narcissistic algorithms. Each film features a short introduction in English, inviting you to view the film through a mythological lens.

Ex Machina, by writer/director Alex Garland (28 Days Later, Sunshine), presents a time in the not-too-distant future in which artificial intelligence truly comes to life. In the mountain home of a brilliant internet billionaire, a young man takes part in an experiment: testing artificial intelligence in the body of a stunning female robot. The experiment turns into a psychological battle, a love triangle in which loyalty is torn between man and machine.

• Language: English
• Subtitles: Dutch
• Duration: 108 mins.
• Director: Alex Garland
• Cast: Domhnall Gleeson, Alicia Vikander, Oscar Isaac
• Year: 2014
• Country: United Kingdom, United States