Ex Machina

Ex Machina has built a real following in the US on Netflix and Kanopy among viewers who want their sci-fi to think as hard as it looks. A tight runtime that never overstays its welcome. With 14,371 viewer ratings on TMDB, this is not a title flying under the radar. Domhnall Gleeson sets the tone, and the world-building does the rest. There is no real reason to keep putting it off — it is right there on Netflix.

There is a reason Ex Machina keeps coming up in conversation. The world-building is meticulous, but it is the characters who carry Ex Machina through its more ambitious moments. Caleb, a coder at the world's largest internet company, wins a competition to spend a week at a private mountain retreat belonging to Nathan, the reclusive CEO of the company. But when Caleb arrives at the remote location he finds that he will have to participate in a strange and fascinating experiment in which he must interact with the world's first true artificial intelligence, housed in the body of a beautiful robot girl. The human element stays intact thanks to Domhnall Gleeson and Alicia Vikander, who anchor every scene. It hit screens in 2015. The world-building is meticulous enough to sustain multiple rewatches, with details early on that only make sense later. The consistency throughout is what elevates it — not every moment is the best, but none of them are a reason to stop watching.

For late-night viewing or a proper weekend binge, Ex Machina fits the bill. If you have run out of similar titles to watch, this is a strong next pick. Short enough to finish in one sitting, substantial enough to feel satisfying. Domhnall Gleeson grounds the bigger ideas in something human. Once you are in, you will want to talk about it.