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About This Quiz
"Ex Machina" is one of the newer sci-fi films. It has been considered a new classic for the genre. With its philosophical approach, combined with suspenseful elements, it raises questions on what the role of artificial intelligence may be in our society, and whether we should use it at all. ITo learn more about the movie and artificial intelligence, take the "Ex Machina" quiz!
In the beginning, what did Caleb win that left him dumbstruck?
a stay at the house of the company CEO
Caleb is introduced in the opening scenes as a normal IT guy, who gets an e-mail and is congratulated by the entire office.
a big bonus and vacation time
a pay raise lottery
an invitation for one-on-one brainstorming
When we first see Nathan, what is he doing?
he's preparing breakfast
he's been patiently waiting for Caleb
he has just woken up
he's exercising with a punching bag
It's an insight into Nathan's character that he's exercising by using a punching bag. His need to let things out in a low-key, violent manner is a clue to the dark side of his personality.
Which actor played the role of Nathan?
Ryan Gosling
Oscar Isaac
Oscar Isaac won rave reviews for his role as Nathan. Among other things, he is also known for playing pilot Poe Dameron in Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
Christian Bale
Leonardo DiCaprio
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Why was Nathan so busy exercising in the morning, rather than just having coffee?
he likes staying in shape
he's sweating out a hangover
Nathan tells Caleb thathe does some really heavy drinking at times, and he cures the hangover by sweating it out. This comes back to bite him later in the movie.
he needs to exercise to think
he wanted to impress Caleb
According to Nathan, why does the door passkey open only some of the rooms in the house?
his house is also his office
some rooms are just for storage
to make things less awkward
Initially, Nathan says its for privacy. However, it soon becomes obvious that it's about a lot more than that. It's not just about being in "someone else's house."
some rooms are extra guest rooms only
After showing Caleb his room, what big secret does Nathan share?
it's not a house, it's a research building
Even though some areas of it are decorated like a normal house, Nathan reveals that it's a special research facility. And he wants to share the research information with Caleb.
the house is an old bunker
the house is a fortress
the house is incredibly high-tech
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After Caleb has second thoughts about the non-disclosure contract he has to sign, how does Nathan get him to sign it?
tells him they won’t be friends anymore
tells him that he will go home immediately
threatens him with losing his job
tells him he'll miss out on something big
What Nathan does is a classic trick for getting people to do anything: keep their curiosity and egos interested.
So, what is the big secret in that research facility or house?
creating an advanced home network
making a futuristic house
using artificial intelligence commercially
Ava, the female robot
The house is actually a research facility designed to keep and test Ava, an advanced robot and artificial intelligence. Supposedly, it keeps Ava in a high-tech cage to prevent it from wandering off and falling into the wrong hands.
Who played the role of Ava?
Scarlett Johansson
Nicole Kidman
Alicia Vikander
Alicia Vikander is an Oscar-winning Swedish actress. She is playing the role of Lara Croft in the reboot of the Tomb Raider movie series which is based on a successful video game.
Jennifer Lawrence
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Given the nature of the project, why does Nathan need Caleb there?
to verify if Ava can physically pass for a human
to verify if Ava works well as an artificial intelligence
Lured under the pretense of a "vacation with the boss," Caleb's real job is to see if Ava is really a working artificial intelligence. It must be noted, though, that intelligence and self-awareness are still being explored in the real world.
to verify if the computer code is bug-free
to do additional work on Ava
What is the first, small disturbing sign that something is not exactly right with Ava?
Nathan leaves the two of them alone
everything is in dim lighting
Ava trying to be too sexy
the crack in the observation booth
It's practically given no importance, but if you think about it, cracked glass in the observation booth is a dead giveaway that things are less than "peaceful." Even though Ava may look fragile, it doesn’t mean she's helpless.
When we're introduced to Ava, what makes her appearance disturbing?
she is subtly flirty
she is a "female"
she has a human face and hands
The most important visual components for interacting with people are the face and hands. Ava has those, and even if she looks mostly robotic, there is a very human aspect to her.
she moves like a person
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What ominous thing happens after Ava is first introduced?
Nathan asks probing questions
Ava appears in Caleb's dreams
Caleb starts wondering about locked rooms
the entire "house" has a power outage
Caleb gets a minor anxiety attack when he is locked in his own room after a power outage. The fact that he's sealed into a box is claustrophobic, for sure.
It's important to the movie: What is the Uncanny Valley?
a human can't tell a human-like thing from the real thing
a human can never emulate a robot
the closer a robot gets to being human, the more noticeable it gets
The Uncanny Valley concept is all about how humans can somehow tell that a human-like robot isn't human. It's about little "disconnections" in their physical actions or their psychological reactions. The movie Blade Runner also explores this in another manner.
a robot can never be totally human
What is the term "through the looking glass" all about?
it's about having your mind blown with drugs
it's about mirroring a person
it's about knowing what's behind the technology
it’s taken from Alice in Wonderland
The quote is taken from "Alice in Wonderland." The way Caleb uses it, it's about diving headlong into a new world. That's how he sees Ava -- something that is from a new world, or can usher it in.
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Ex Machina is unusual among science fiction films because of how human-like its robots are. In this case, how creepy was it?
they have facial expressions
they can move like humans
they had super abilities
they look exactly like humans
It's a disturbing part of Ex Machina's theme. Not only does Ava sound and act human, but once all the robotic areas are covered up, she looks like a human. In fact, even when you can see her robotic parts, her basic shape is still perfectly human.
Caleb is curious about how Ava uses language. Why?
the way Ava talks is smooth
language responses can be programmed
Caleb is interested in the way that Ava responds, since she seems to reply on the fly, not with pre-set responses.
there are inflections in the way Ava talks
Ava manages to sound very human
While they are drinking, Nathan asks an important question. What was it?
"Is it a good design?"
"How do we sell her?"
“How do you feel about Ava?"
Nathan's question, on the surface, can be interpreted as being about how well Ava is programmed or constructed. However, as the film goes on, we find out that it's much more than him asking if Ava is a good product.
"What improvements can be made?"
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What is the point of the Turing test that Caleb and Nathan discuss?
to see if a machine's behavior is indistinguishable from human behavior
Created by Alan Turing in 1950, the Turing test tries to see if a machine can interact with a human to the point where the human can’t tell if it is a machine or not. Strictly speaking, Ex Machina did not have a traditional Turing test in it, although you can argue that Ava's success in manipulating Caleb might count.
to see if a machine can answer a data question correctly
to see if a machine can randomly react
to see if a machine can keep to its chat programming
The feeling of being trapped is heightened for Caleb when he finds out this piece of information. What is it?
he realizes he's stuck in a box
he does not know where the house is
he can’t use the phone to call
We take for granted that friends and family are just a phone call away. However, in this case, even the ability to use the phone isn't "given" to Caleb. As usual, Nathan tries to make it sound logical, but it starts to get really disturbing.
Nathan doesn’t like him
Who is Kyoko?
Nathan's "companion"
At first, she presents herself as a servant, but later on, in conversation, it's obvious that there are “benefits†to her being there. This may be considered a call-out to the "Asian bride" trope.
executive assistant
Nathan's girlfriend
maintenance engineer for the facility
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Why are power outages happening?
bad design for the power system
another artificial intelligence is doing it
Ava triggers it so she can talk without Nathan listening
Ava apparently found a way to trigger power outages. It's one way for her to talk to Caleb without Nathan hearing anything.
it prevents Ava from escaping
What is the final nail in the suspicion coffin for Caleb?
Caleb puts things together in his mind
Nathan snaps at him
he finds out that Nathan has CCTV cameras everywhere
Once Caleb finds out that he is also being watched, he knows that there's much more to it than just giving a Turing test to Ava. And he wonders what exactly is his role in it.
Kyoko's presence
Why was Caleb really chosen for this?
because no one would notice if he was gone
because he isn’t that bright
because Nathan really "likes" him
because he could fall for Ava
As it turns out, the fact that Caleb is socially awkward and may have interaction issues is the big point for his selection, not that he is a good programmer or an IT genius. It's to see how well Ava can fool him.
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Why is Ava's name symbolic?
it refers to a computer project
it's a version of "Eve"
Ava is another version of "Eve." It means "living one," and in some languages, can also mean "bird," or "voice." Given how Ava is an artificial intelligence that can manipulate people, the name may have been a clue to her skills.
it refers to Ava Gardner
it is an acronym
What does the title Ex Machina mean?
(fate is) not a machine
(she is) formerly a machine
(happiness is not) made from a machine
(god) from the machine
The real term is "Deus Ex Machina" or "God from the Machine." In ancient theater, it was about how a "god" or all-knowing character would come in and explain things or provide solutions. It was as if a god would come out from the story's machine to make sure it had the right ending.
Why is Caleb's statement that a working artificial intelligence will be for "the history of gods" so symbolic?
because of its Frankenstein reference
Caleb's statement is a subtle reference to Mary Shelley's work, "The Modern Prometheus," better known in pop culture as the story of Frankenstein's Monster. Since we know how that ends, it's not looking good for Caleb or Nathan.
it's becoming the most powerful man in the world
it's about merging computers and humans
replaces humanity
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Which famous director was supposedly an influence for the character of Nathan?
Brian de Palma
Stanley Kubrick
Director Stanley Kubrick was supposedly an acting peg for Oscar Isaac, given the man's mix of genius and dark personality traits. It also helps that he's the director of "2001: A Space Odyssey," a movie that features a murderous artificial intelligence.
Steven Spielberg
George Lucas
When Nathan uses the term "Promethean," to what mythological person does it refer?
the giver of fire
Nathan was probably thinking of Prometheus, the man who stole fire from the heavens, and taught people how to use it. Prometheus was punished by having a large flying beast eat his liver every morning. Nathan, being a drunkard, probably knows the feeling all too well.
the sun king
the creator of life
the hero of the oceans
Blink and you'll miss it: One of Nathan's "former girls" is blonde and has no limbs. To what is this a possible reference?
Metropolis
Ghost in the Shell
In the original "Ghost in the Shell" movie, the physical body in which they trapped the artificial intelligence, the Puppet Master, looks very much like the limbless blonde-haired robot in one of the closets. This can also be a symbol for how manipulative Ava is, as the Puppet Master was obviously an artificial intelligence that specialized in manipulation.
Boxing Helena
Blade Runner
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If you're a computer geek, why is Ava's conversation opener so familiar?
early chat bots said similar things
Early chat bots, programs that mimic a person's conversation, used similar introduction lines to engage the user immediately. It's an example of the Uncanny Valley, as the more they try to engage, the more it sounds "off."
the tone is mechanical
Ava sounds like tech support
Ava is trying to be sociable in a geeky way.
It's expected that the movie has a lot of philosophy, but the ending is about the "allegory of the cave." What is it about?
how we prefer being trapped
how we keep others trapped
how we understand reality
The "Allegory of the cave" is also known as "Plato's Cave," named after the famous philosopher who thought of the idea. It's about how we accept our reality, based on how we understand things. If we can’t accept something, then we go back to our comfortable "caves," until we get used to it. In the movie's ending, Ava has been able to get out of her caged life, while Caleb is now struggling both physically and mentally to make sense of what happened.
how we destroy ourselves
If you listen closely, why does the door lock tone sound familiar?
it's a video game sound
it's a generic appliance button sound
it's an Android tone
The tone they use for the door locks is the Tejat sound, which is for any device that uses the Android operating system. It looks like Nathan isn’t a Windows kind of guy.
it's a boot-up sound for computers
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Even the color design for the movie is a nod to the theme. Why are the predominant colors red, green, and blue?
those make up the RGB color system for computers
The basic red, green, and blue color designs for the sets are meant to be a reference to the RGB (red, green, blue) color system that most computers use for displays. It also gives the sets a more artificial, surreal look.
they look good for digital filming
they are basic colors
they pop out the most
Why do some people think that Nathan has a Bluebeard thing going on?
he is obsessive about his privacy
he has a thing for his beard
he uses women to hide his homosexuality
he "kills" and hides his robots
The Bluebeard character is taken from an old French story about a rich and violent man who, after killing his wives, would put their corpses in a locked room before he went out to find another wife. He would warn his new wife not to open the locked room in the house. But well, curiosity got the better of her. Thankfully, Caleb isn’t married to Nathan, but the story mechanics are still close.
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