The Machine is a dark science fiction thriller. It tells the story of a scientist, Vincent, who works for a government based military company who is creating robotic machines for combat warfare. He hires a new scientist, Ava, to join the team but she is soon eliminated when she starts looking in the wrong places and asking dangerous questions. But Ava finds a way to resurface unexpectedly with the help of Vincent. A battle ensues between the head of the company and scientists when the lines of Artificial Intelligence and reality are blurred. You will contemplate the extent and moralities of robot intelligence afterwards.
The film is quite entertaining. I really enjoyed the music, as it set the dark tense mood. It was thrilling and kept me engaged. The dark imagery is evident in the camera and lighting choices as well. Vincent is played by Tobey Stephens, who’s well known from British film and television. The stand out character though is Ava, played by Caity Lotz. She really shined playing a wide range of personalities from dark and dangerous to innocent and heart warming . Lotz is a regular on the CW’s Arrow.
The Machine isn’t a unique story idea but it’s still enjoyable. We’ve seen this story many times before, so it lacks in originality a bit. The film has some strong and possibly offensive images of amputees and imprisoned war veterans. There was an eerie feel throughout, but that’s what movie making is all about. Movies are meant to transport you to another dimension and make you feel something. The Machine succeeded in altering reality for a couple hours while I enjoyed this intense yet passionate sci-fi thriller.
I would recommend watching The Machine if you’re a fan of dark action sci-fi thrillers.