"Ex Machina" premieres in select theatres April 10th. (Twitter/@ropeofsilicon)

A take on the fantasy beyond the digital age, Alex Garland's directorial debut, "Ex Machina", reimagines a reality in which machine has not just surpassed, but dethroned, human intellect.

The film commences as Caleb Smith (Domhnall Gleeson), a 26-year-old computer programmer, is selected from his colleagues at the search engine company Blue Book to participate in a clandestine experiment. 

Flown by helicopter through acres of natural forest, Caleb arrives at his rich and brilliant employer Nathan's (Oscar Isaac) luxurious yet secluded estate, only to learn that he is on the research facility itself. 

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Nathan reveals to Caleb that they will be administering the Turing Test, which determines when a machine's behavioral qualities have become indistinguishable from those of a human. Caleb is then introduced to Ava (Alicia Vikander), the A.I. (artificial intelligence) with a physique resembling those of "I, Robot" and strikingly human features: a face, hands, and feet.

Outside, Nathan monitors the experiment through cameras as Caleb and Ava spend a total of seven sessions together, during which he begins to develop feelings for her. The film takes an eerie, and almost sinister, turn as Ava, during one of her regulated power outages, reveals to Caleb that Nathan cannot be trusted. When he learns that Ava is merely a progression soon to be replaced by a newer model, Caleb starts to foster doubt and caution against Nathan, and endeavors to relinquish Ava from her internment.

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Prevalent throughout the film is the question of whether or not simulated machines can exhibit the behavioral traits and emotions of human beings. Through Garland's clever direction, "Ex Machina" artfully hints at the terrifying notion that we may, ourselves, be in a simulation of sorts. Garland's screenplay is unparalleled in this genre, as it creatively manages to legitimize this fictitious world through logic and biology. 

The stunning cinematography captures Nathan's futuristic manor from both within its fiber optic architecture and amidst vast natural forest, consistently drawing parallels between Ava's transparent glass walled containment and apparently our own.  

Exquisitely cast, Isaac disappears into his drunken quiddities before he manifests into the accidental villain, while Gleeson propels the storyline forward with his combined innocence and wit. The film, however, is nothing without Vikander's pseudo-robotic performance of the human machine.

A challenging, intelligent and captivating take on the science fiction genre, "Ex Machina" is worth a watch. 

Reach staff reporter Sahil Dhaliwal here or follow her on Twitter.