Artificial intelligence hasn’t enjoyed the greatest hit-to-miss ratio in film history. It seems that for every Forbidden Planet or Blade Runner, we’ve had to endure ten or more The Black Holes. That’s part of what makes Alex Garland’s Ex Machina so satisfying. It’s a bold exploration of the relationship between man and machine, one that feels wholly modern and very much a part of the twenty-first century, that still operates within the tradition of great SF cinema and literature. While a large part of its success is owed to writer-director Garland (here making his feature-film directorial debut), as well as its stars Domhnall Gleeson, Alicia Vikander, and Oscar Isaac, props must be given to its special effects creators; who’ve crafted some of the most startling visuals in any recent genre film. But did you know that the film’s AI began with Batman and Losers comic book artist Jock (who also lent his skills to the Garland-scripted Dredd)? That’s just one of the things to be learned from the following video, which offers a behind-the-scenes look at the magic that brought Ex Machina‘s Ava to life. It features visual effects supervisor Andrew Whitehurst, production designer Mark Digby, director of photography Rob Hardy, make-up and hair designer Sian Grigg, and costume designer Sammy Sheldon Differ, as well as Vikander and Garland…

With Ex Machina‘s theatrical run expanding to many more theaters today, be sure to experience one of the smartest sci-fi films so far this century. For more, go to meet-ava.com.

HT: The Verge