Film Preview: Ex Machina (2015)

Poster

Poster #1

Additional posters can be found below.

Trailer Link

Release Date:

April 10, 2015

Synopsis:

From IMDb: “A young programmer is selected to participate in a breakthrough experiment in artificial intelligence by evaluating the human qualities of a breathtaking female A.I.”

Poster: C+ / C- / C / B- / C / D+ (2)

Review: (#1) With the imaginative design of the robot, you would think the poster design would be more distinctively styled. There’s not enough here to warrant much of a second look. (#2) Just the exoskeleton. That’s not much of a poster and few are likely to care about what it’s for. (#3) A little better view of the robot design, but it’s such an insignificant portion of the poster that it seems utterly wasteful.

(#4) A more viable poster design that focuses on characters and settings rather than absent-minded artistry. This design will do better as a sales tool even though it’s still not that spectacular. (#5) Back to the minimalist design work, this poster doesn’t excel or fail any worse than the film’s second and third designs.

(#5-#6) Two new posters that are pulled directly from a prior poster. That’s not an interesting character poster design motif, it’s a disappointing regurgitation.

Trailer: B- / A / A / A-

Review: (#1) It’s difficult to tell what the film is ultimately about except that it examines the concept of artificial intelligence and where human thought begins and ends. The performances don’t look that exciting and conceptually it could work. However, the trailer doesn’t give much hope.

(#2 & #3) Without putting the second and third trailers side-by-side for a shot comparison, I’d be hard pressed to tell you which is which. However, even if there are only minor tweaks between them, what’s presented creates a palpable sense of tension and a notable depth of story, which could make it a go-to film for traditional science fiction minded folks.

(#4) While it doesn’t quite live up to the expectations of its two predecessors, this Kubrick-styled trailer does a solid job selling the film’s premise to the audience without seeming boring.