Ex Machina

INT. OFFICE - DAY

- a COMPUTER MONITOR.

Lines of code appear, as they are typed.

main( ) {

extrn a, b, c;

putchar(a); putchar (b);putchar (c); putchar('!'*n');

}

a `hell';

b `o, w';

c `or

CUT TO -

- a view above an ultra-cool, ultra-designed open-plan

office.

In a kitchen area, young men and women mill and chat.

Casually dressed. Feels like an intelligent, relaxed

environment.

Behind them, more young men and women sit at desks, in front

of screens and keyboard.

Each workstation is personalised. Photographs of friends or

family, or pets. Cutting from magazines. Ironic

superhero/video-game figurines.

CUT TO -

- the hands of the young man writing code. This is CALEB.

He types fast, with two fingers.

CUT TO -

- EXTREME CLOSE UP of a pinhole web-cam lens in CALEB'S

monitor.

CUT TO -

- the POV of the web-cam.

Looking back at CALEB.

Twenty four. Glazed. Ear buds in, connected to cell phone.

Head bobbing slightly to the music.

As we watch from the monitor POV, we can see the computer's

facial recognition system in operation.

2.

Imaged as vector boxes, which track CALEB'S face, and the

faces of all the people behind him.

CUT TO -

- the COMPUTER MONITOR.

On which a message appears, in a small window, over the code.

VIP EMAIL RECEIVED

subject:
HIDDEN

CUT TO -

- the monitor web-cam POV.

As CALEB stops typing.

He gazes at the message.

Then clicks on the link.

Then mouths the word: F***.

CALEB reaches for his cell phone.

CUT TO -

- the CELL PHONE POV, seen from the tiny camera above the

screen, as CALEB lifts the phone, and starts keying-in a

text.

We see facial recognition software flickering over CALEB'S

features, and reacting to shifts in his expression.

CUT TO -

- the cell phone. The screen. The tiny camera nestled above

it. Lens glinting.

On the screen, a time-bar extends next to the word:

sending

A beat later, a reply text message appears.

WTF? seriously!?

CUT TO -

- the WEB CAM POV, watching CALEB react to the arrival of the

text.

CUT TO -

- cell phone screen.

CALEB sends the word:

3.

yes

A beat later, a stream of text messages start appearing:

Buena estoria bro

omfg f***ing AWESOME

:o)

take me take me?!?

Caleb > [infinity symbol]

CUT TO -

- the computer monitor POV.

Behind CALEB, a few of the people behind CALEB in the office

are reacting.

One stands and applauds.

A GIRL comes out from behind her desk, runs over to CALEB,

and embraces him from behind planting a kiss on his cheek.

CALEB still looks dazed.

He still has his headphones in. Still in the audio bubble,

which, despite the commotion around him, remains unburst.

TITLE:

EX MACHINA:

2 2

EXT. MOUNTAINS - DAY

A spectacular mountain landscape. Waterfalls drop down

massive rock faces to inland lakes. Rivers push through

forest. Forest spreads across valley floors, which rise to

snow peaks.

3 3

INT. HELICOPTER - DAY

CALEB wakes abruptly -

- to find himself in the front seat of a helicopter.

The pilot, JAY, is a man in his forties.

Outside the window is the mountain landscape.

CALEB:

How long was I out?

4.

JAY:

You fell asleep almost as soon as

we left the airport.

CALEB looks around. Wipes sleep out of his eyes. Gets his

bearings.

CALEB:

Damn. Can't believe I've been

missing this. I was so psyched to

be coming here, I was awake all

night.

JAY smiles.

JAY:

You're a programmer, right?

CALEB:

Yeah.

JAY:

Bay facility?

CALEB:

Long Island. I work on algorithms

for the search engine.

JAY:

Algorithms. Nice.

CALEB:

You know what they are?

JAY:

Nope. But I knew you were a

programmer. Soon as I set eyes on

you.

CALEB:

Is that a good thing?

JAY:

Means you and Mr Bateman speak the

same language. I'd say that's a

good thing.

Beat.

CALEB:

I guess you know him pretty well.

The pilot laughs.

JAY:

I've never even met him. I only

fly this shuttle between the

airport and his residence.

(MORE)

5.

JAY (CONT'D)

I did see him one time. Stood on

one of these mountain ridges.

JAY shrugs.

JAY (CONT'D)

Assume it was him, anyway. No one

else around for a hundred miles.

JAY glances over at CALEB.

JAY (CONT'D)

So how does a programmer from Long

Island get to be meeting the CEO?

CALEB:

I won a competition. It was kind

of like a lottery, for employees.

The winner got to spend a week with

him.

JAY:

The president can't get Mr Bateman

on the phone, but you got the

golden ticket.

CALEB:

Yep.

JAY:

Hell of an opportunity.

CALEB:

Believe me. I know it.

CALEB looks out of the window.

CALEB (CONT'D)

Incredible here.

JAY:

Alaska. Most beautiful place on

Earth.

Beat.

CALEB:

How long until we get to his

estate?

JAY chuckles.

JAY:

We've been flying over his estate

for the past two hours.

6.

4 4

EXT. MOUNTAINS - DAY

The helicopter flies over a vast white glacier.

5 5

EXT. MOUNTAINS - DAY

CUT:

6 6

EXT. MOUNTAINS - DAY

The helicopter flies over the lip of a WATERFALL, revealing a

valley.

The valley floor is a forest, and a single bright green

meadow. Sunlit, like a jewel in the icy mountains.

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