Remarkably, celebrated filmmaker Alex Garland, 53, recently declared his intention to step away from filmmaking, citing a desire to pursue another artistic endeavor. As fans of his work mourn this news, it’s impossible not to think about the influential impact the London-born director had on the movie business with his sci-fi masterpiece, Ex Machina.
Even Garland expressed his admiration for this 2014 flick, which received critical acclaim for its thought-provoking look at artificial intelligence and won an Oscar for Best Visual Effects. Back in 2015, he revealed to The Guardian that, compared to everything he has worked on previously, he “feels more attached” to this movie.
In a sea of Hollywood blockbusters, Garland’s exacting attention to detail and talent for creating rich, nuanced characters distinguished the Oscar Isaac starrer flick as a true work of art.
Alex Garland Has a ‘Special’ Place for Ex Machina
It is easy to see why Alex Garland has a special place in his heart for Ex Machina. The film, which debuted in 2014, was a critical and commercial success, earning the filmmaker widespread praise for his directorial debut. With its thought-provoking themes, stunning visuals, and outstanding performances, Ex Machina is a fantastic example of science fiction done well.
Indeed, the filmmaker acknowledged that Ex Machina might be his most proud project in a 2015 interview with The Guardian:
“I feel more attached to this film, I feel more strongly about this film than anything I’ve worked on up till now. I think it’s the best-realised thing I’ve done. And I have a feeling that I might feel differently about this in three or four years than I have all the previous projects.”
The film has struck a chord with viewers due in large part to its examination of artificial intelligence and the moral ramifications of creating sentient beings. It follows Caleb (Domhnall Gleeson), a young programmer, who is chosen to take part in a groundbreaking experiment involving Ava, a humanoid robot.
Caleb’s interactions with Ava lead him to question her true nature and the intentions of her creator, Nathan (Oscar Isaac). Despite a $15 million budget, the film brought in over $36.8 million worldwide (see Box Office Mozo).
Critics praised the screenplay, visual effects, and performances, giving it high marks. At the 88th Academy Awards, the film won the Best Visual Effects Oscar and Garland was nominated for Best Original Screenplay.
Alex Garland is Bidding Farewell to Filmmaking?
Alex Garland, the director of Civil War, has announced that he will no longer be directing. After making his successful feature directorial debut in 2014 with the well-received science fiction film Ex Machina, Garland went on to direct Annihilation in 2018 and Men in 2022. His latest film, Civil War, follows reporters as they cover a new American civil war that breaks out when the West, led by Texas and California, tries to leave the union.
Garland recently spoke with The Guardian while promoting the impending Civil War. The filmmaker stated that “nothing’s changed” in response to a question about a recent statement he made about his plan to concentrate only on being a screenwriter and give up directing after the film’s release.
Reiterating what he had said earlier, he admitted to having no intention of taking the director’s chair again for the “foreseeable future”. In his words:
“Nothing’s changed. I’m in a very similar state. I’m not planning to direct again in the foreseeable future.”
The director’s announcement of his retirement does not seem to be related to the reviews of his previous films, Men being his most controversial to date. He has been praised almost universally as a director and screenwriter. Civil War has tied Ex Machina for the best reviews he has ever received (see Rotten Tomatoes), erasing the negative trend that Men, his biggest critical setback in a long time, had.
Deadline projects that Civil War will make between $18 and $24 million during its first weekend of release. Starring Kirsten Dunst, Cailee Spaeny, and Wagner Moura, the film is set to be released theatrically on April 12, 2024.
Also, Ex Machina is streaming on Max.
