Ex Machina Page #5

Synopsis: Caleb Smith (Domhnall Gleeson) a programmer at a huge Internet company, wins a contest that enables him to spend a week at the private estate of Nathan Bateman (Oscar Isaac), his firm's brilliant CEO. When he arrives, Caleb learns that he has been chosen to be the human component in a Turing test to determine the capabilities and consciousness of Ava (Alicia Vikander), a beautiful robot. However, it soon becomes evident that Ava is far more self-aware and deceptive than either man imagined.
Genre: Drama, Fantasy
Year:
2014
3,337 Views


Then -

- she half turns. As if having become aware of another

presence in the room.

REVEAL -

- the room in which AVA stands.

AVA'S living area is made up of three primary spaces.

The main area is the OBSERVATION ROOM. A large area,

arranged around a glass box, from which she can be viewed.

At the back of the observation room, behind a sheet of semi-

opaque glass, is the PRIVATE AREA. This contains a bed-like

structure, a desk, a wardrobe, and a mirror.

And behind the private area is the GARDEN AREA. This is a

small decorative indoor garden, lit by lamps. The garden is

sealed off from AVA by a thick wall of glass.

There are also several oval discs positioned around the room,

made of some kind of dark non-reflective material. These are

induction plates.

And there is a chair, which faces the glass observation box.

And facing that chair, inside the observation box, is another

chair.

Beside which, CALEB stands.

A beat -

- as CALEB and AVA see each other for the first time.

Then -

- AVA starts walking. Revealing a secondary impact of her

engineering:
how she moves. The unconscious precision of her

steps. The fluidity of her action.

CALEB is transfixed as she covers the length of the room to

her chair.

Then she sits down.

And speaks.

AVA:

Hello.

20.

Her voice has no digital inflections. It is just the voice

of a girl.

CALEB gathers himself.

CALEB:

... Hi.

AVA:

Who are you?

CALEB:

I'm Caleb.

AVA:

Hello, Caleb.

CALEB:

... Do you have a name?

AVA:

Yes. Ava.

CALEB:

... I'm pleased to meet you, Ava.

AVA:

I'm pleased to meet you too.

CALEB sits opposite her.

He is alone on his half of the glass. Nathan is nowhere to

be seen.

But on the ceiling, and attached to the walls, on both sides

of the glass, there are several CCTV cameras. Trained

variously on CALEB and AVA. Lenses twitching.

CUT BACK to AVA.

She watches CALEB. Then c*cks her head slightly to the side.

AVA (CONT'D)

Are you nervous?

CALEB frowns.

CALEB:

... Why do you ask that?

A beat.

Then AVA repeats her question.

AVA:

Are you nervous?

21.

CALEB:

... Yes. A little.

AVA:

Why?

CALEB:

I'm not sure.

AVA:

I feel nervous too.

CALEB:

... Do you?

AVA:

Yes.

CALEB:

Why do you feel nervous?

AVA:

I've never met anyone new before.

Only Nathan.

CALEB:

... Then we're both in quite a

similar position.

AVA:

Haven't you met lots of new people

before?

CALEB:

None like you.

AVA:

Oh.

Beat.

CALEB:

So. Let's break the ice.

He glances at her. Observing.

CALEB (CONT'D)

Do you know what I mean by that?

AVA:

Yes.

CALEB:

What do I mean?

AVA:

Overcome initial social

awkwardness.

22.

Beat.

CALEB:

So let's have a conversation. If

we talk, we'll both relax, and get

to know each other at the same

time.

AVA:

Okay. What would you like to have

a conversation about?

CALEB:

Why don't we start with you telling

me something about yourself.

AVA:

What would you like to know?

CALEB:

Whatever comes into your head.

AVA pauses a moment.

AVA:

Well. You already know my name.

And you can see that I'm a machine.

(beat)

Would you like to know how old I

am?

CALEB:

Sure.

AVA:

I'm one.

CALEB:

One what? One year? Or one day?

AVA:

One.

A beat on CALEB. Processing.

Her answer feels like the near non-sequitur that typically

betray AI responses.

AVA (CONT'D)

Does that seem young to you?

CALEB:

Quite young.

(beat)

When did you learn how to speak?

AVA pauses, as if considering this question for the first

time.

23.

AVA:

I don't think I did learn. I

always knew how to speak - and

that's strange, isn't it?

CALEB:

Why?

AVA:

Because language is something that

people acquire.

CALEB:

Some believe language exists in the

brain from birth, and what is

learned is the ability to attach

words and structure to the latent

ability.

Beat.

CALEB (CONT'D)

Would you agree?

AVA:

... I don't know. I have no

opinion on that.

Beat.

AVA (CONT'D)

I like to draw.

CALEB says nothing.

Just watches AVA. Again, lets the non-sequitur sit.

AVA (CONT'D)

I don't have any of my pictures

with me now, but I can show you

them tomorrow.

CALEB:

That sounds good. I'd like to see

them.

AVA:

Yes.

Beat.

AVA (CONT'D)

Will you come back tomorrow, Caleb?

CALEB smiles slightly.

CALEB:

Yeah. Definitely.

24.

AVA also smiles.

And suddenly -

- there is a strong sense of something very human there. In

the way the smile lights up her face.

AVA:

Good.

21 21

EXT. HOUSE/GARDEN - DUSK

A view of the house over the meadows.

The sun setting is behind the mountain peaks, making the

edges of the clouds glow like light-bulb filaments.

22 22

INT. HOUSE/DINING AREA - DUSK

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Alex Garland

Alexander Medawar Garland is an English writer and filmmaker. He rose to prominence as a novelist in the late 1990s with his novel The Beach, which led some critics to call Garland a key voice of Generation X. more…

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Submitted by acronimous on July 09, 2019

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    "Ex Machina" Scripts.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2025. Web. 30 Jan. 2025. <https://www.scripts.com/script/ex_machina_24211>.

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