Movies like Ex Machina can satisfy both sci-fi and horror audiences. The combination of the movie‘s thought-provoking themes and strong drama is undoubtedly one that many movie genres have tried to accomplish before, but few have nearly as successfully.
Garland went on to direct the more intensely horrifying movie Men and the even more ambitious and accomplished science-fiction movie Annihilation.
However, the best movies, like Ex Machina, capture that same concentrated burst of high-concept ideas within the context of an intimate thriller.
The movies on this list, like Ex Machina, examine the effects of artificial intelligence (AI) and robots on civilization and what may occur if they grow too advanced or aware.
1. Arrival (2016)
- Director: Denis Villeneuve
- Cast: Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, Forest Whitaker, Michael Stuhlbarg, Mark O’Brien, Tzi Ma, and Abigail Pniowsky
- IMDb rating: 7.9/10
Amy Adams plays a linguist hired by the military to help communicate with aliens who have arrived on Earth in Denis Villeneuve’s sci-fi thriller Arrival.
Arrival, a science fiction drama directed by Denis Villeneuve, features Amy Adams as a linguist hired by the military to establish communication with aliens who have colonized Earth.
Although it is difficult to converse with the aliens, as the linguist learns their language, she also begins to see why they have come to Earth. One of the greatest movies like Ex Machina is Arrival, which provokes thinking and is emotionally deep.
2. Triangle (2009)
- Director: Christopher Smith
- Cast: Melissa George, Joshua McIvor, Jack Taylor, Michael Dorman, Henry Nixon, Rachael Carpani, and Emma Lung
- IMDb rating: 6.9/10
A few yachting passengers stuck in some strange weather are the story’s center. Since they have nowhere else to go, they are relieved to discover another ship drifting close. However, things worsen once they learn that there is a significant problem with it.
This movie constantly messes with your head from the beginning to the end. It forces you to reflect on the movie long after it has ended. You may have to do it again simply to figure out what occurred. Overall, it is a fantastic movie that keeps you engaged.
3. AI Artificial Intelligence (2001)
- Director: Steven Spielberg
- Cast: Haley Joel Osment, Jude Law, Frances O’Connor, Sam Robards, Jake Thomas, William Hurt, and Ken Leung
- IMDb rating: 7.2/10
Robots are widely used in society in Steven Spielberg’s AI Artificial Intelligence, although they are not yet sentient. A series of experiments are performed on a boy robot with the capacity for love to determine if he is human.
AI Artificial Intelligence is a movie exploring the ramifications of artificial intelligence, even though it wasn’t as highly regarded as some of Spielberg’s other works.
The movie AI Artificial Intelligence was not as highly regarded as some of Spielberg’s previous movies, such as ET A robot plays the starring part in this movie, which is unusual in the movie industry and is similar to movies like Ex Machina.
4. Source Code (2011)
- Director: Duncan Jones
- Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Michelle Monaghan, Vera Farmiga, Jeffrey Wright, Michael Arden, Cas Anvar, and Russell Peters
- IMDb rating: 7.5/10
It doesn’t seem like your typical movie where the first 20 to 30 minutes are dedicated to character and narrative development. There is no beginning, but it does have a soul-satisfying finale. It gets going quickly and doesn’t let up, keeping you on your toes.
The story centers on a US soldier who awakens on a commuter train to discover that he is another person. He is seated next to a woman who introduces herself as his finance. He quickly understands that he is a subject in a government experiment.
This soldier just has 8 minutes to locate the device and the bomber before it detonates. He would have to go through it again if he were to fail. He improves with each effort, getting closer to the offender.
It is a heartwarming action movie that will make you cheer for its protagonists, similar to Ex Machina.
5. Splice (2009)
- Director: Vincenzo Natali
- Cast: Adrien Brody, Sarah Polley, Delphine Chanéac, Brandon McGibbon, Simona Maicanescu, David Hewlett, and Abigail Chu
- IMDb rating: 5.8/10
Adrien Brody and Sarah Polley play two scientists who develop a human-animal hybrid in Vincenzo Natali’s horror movie Splice. In Vincenzo Natali’s horror movie Splice, Adrien Brody and Sarah Polley play two scientists who develop a human-animal hybrid.
The hybrid, which they called Dren, emerges as a little being but gradually develops into something far more dangerous and unpredictable. A well-made and scary movie, Splice examines the moral ramifications of tampering with genetic code.
It doesn’t have the same openly philosophical undertones as Ex Machina, but it raises some significant issues about the origins of life and what it means to be a person.
6. Coherence (2013)
- Director: James Ward Byrkit
- Cast: Emily Baldoni, Maury Sterling, Nicholas Brendon, Elizabeth Gracen, Lorene Scafaria, Hugo Armstrong, and Alex Manugian
- IMDb rating: 7.2/10
The movie’s premise is that whenever a comet passes past the Earth, temporal paradoxes happen. One such evening, a couple of friends get together for dinner. At first, everything seems to be going as planned, but soon, they notice something is wrong.
They more than makeup for the absence of high-budget action scenes with an inventive plot and excellent execution. Sure, the performance sometimes seems a little flat, but this is to be expected from a new cast in an indie movie.
Movies like Ex Machina and Coherence are a gift in disguise today when everyone is set on ripping off a famous movie. One of those movies, Coherence, trusts its adult audience to understand the nuances and figure out the solution independently.
7. Moon (2009)
- Director: Duncan Jones
- Cast: Sam Rockwell, Kevin Spacey, Dominique McElligott, Rosie Shaw, Adrienne Shaw, Kaya Scodelario, and Benedict Wong
- IMDb rating: 7.8/10
Moon, a science fiction movie from 2009, was written by Nathan Parker and based on a tale by Duncan Jones and directed by Duncan Jones. The movie’s lead actor, Sam Rockwell, plays an astronaut on a three-year solo trip to the Moon who starts to have weird hallucinations.
A well-made and frightening movie, Moon examines the moral ramifications of tampering with genetic code. It doesn’t have the same openly philosophical undertones as Ex Machina, but it raises some significant issues about the origins of life and what it means to be a person.
While Ex Machina focused more on the philosophical ramifications of artificial intelligence, Moon does not, but it is still a thrilling and enjoyable movie that is well worth seeing. In addition, it has a strong female protagonist, which is uncommon in movies.
8. Cube (1997)
- Director: Vincenzo Natali
- Cast: Nicole de Boer, Maurice Dean Wint, David Hewlett, Andrew Miller, Nicky Guadagni, Julian Richings, and Wayne Robson
- IMDb rating: 7.1/10
Six characters, each with unique talents, awaken within a massive cube and discover that they are locked inside it. To survive the infinite length, they must work together and use one another’s talents.
Although the plot of this movie is quite straightforward, it must have been very challenging to execute flawlessly. The simplicity with which everything was handled is astonishing. Most well-liked movies like Ex Machina may be attributed to this 1997 thriller.
The Hunger Games and The Maze Runner wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for Cube. You cannot dispute that certain lessons from Cube have been applied to this movie, despite the fanboys’ loud denials of any link.
9. Her (2013)
- Director: Spike Jonze
- Cast: Joaquin Phoenix, Amy Adams, Scarlett Johansson, Rooney Mara, Lynn Adrianna Freedman, Lisa Renee Pitts, and Gabe Gomez
- IMDb rating: 8.0/10
In Spike Jonze’s romantic movie, a likable loner played by Joaquin Phoenix falls in love with a computer program played by Scarlett Johansson and lives on his devices.
It presents a fresh viewpoint on this kind of movie by examining artificial intelligence more positively and charmingly than is often seen in science fiction movies.
Joaquin Phoenix’s sympathetic loner from the future and Scarlett Johansson’s computer program, who lives on his electronics, embark on a whirlwind affair in Spike Jonze’s love thriller.
Her futuristic settings are bigger and warmer than Ex Machina’s or sci-fi clichés, yet the movie is nevertheless packed with significant observations regarding modern development. This is one of the best movies like Ex Machina.
10. Marjorie Prime (2017)
- Director: Michael Almereyda
- Cast: Geena Davis, Hannah Gross, Jon Hamm, India Reed Kotis, Leslie Lyles, Cashus Muse, and Tim Robbins
- IMDb rating: 6.3/10
Michael Almereyda’s adaptation of Jordan Harrison’s play of the same name is a sci-fi movie that focuses more on domestic drama than most do but still has its chilling undertones.
It is an intensely small-scaled story, similar to Ex Machina and Beyond the Black Rainbow, but primarily deals with the relationship between technology and memory.
The story centers on a family dealing with the growth of Alzheimer’s illness in their grandmother and their choice to use Prime, a holographic AI system, to keep her company and help with her memory.
The movie offers a fascinating but often unsettling portrayal of the fundamental human weaknesses, much to Ex Machina.
11. Morgan (2016)
- Director: Luke Scott
- Cast: Kate Mara, Anya Taylor-Joy, Rose Leslie, Michael Yare, Toby Jones, Chris Sullivan, and Boyd Holbrook
- IMDb rating: 5.8/10
A science fiction thriller, Morgan, was released in 2016 and was written by Seth Owen and directed by Luke Scott. The movie stars Jennifer Jason Leigh, Anya Taylor-Joy, Toby Jones, Rose Leslie, Michelle Yeoh, and Jennifer Mara.
It centers on a corporate risk manager who must choose whether to put an artificial being to death. However, Morgan does not focus as much on the philosophical ramifications of A.I as Ex Machina does, it is nonetheless a thrilling and enjoyable movie that is well worth seeing.
In addition, it has a strong female protagonist, which is uncommon in movies. This is undoubtedly one of the best movies like Ex Machina.
12. Primer (2004)
- Director: Shane Carruth
- Cast: Shane Carruth, David Sullivan, Casey Gooden, Anand Upadhyaya, Carrie Crawford, Jay Butler, and John Carruth
- IMDb rating: 6.8/10
In a garage, four friends are building an error-checking device. The gaps in their friendship emerge when one of them discovers that it can be used to go back and forth in time. Two of them begin using the device for their gain.
They quickly discover, however, that they chewed more than they could bite. In their attempts to improve things, they just make matters worse and let things get out of hand. For this movie to be enjoyable, you must be a die-hard nerd or sci-fi lover.
Primer will be a frustrating experience if you’re a casual fan who has never heard of time-travel paradoxes. There is so much going on that it would overwhelm you. Some may give up trying to comprehend it. Others, on the other hand, would accept the challenge and replay it.
Primer is one of the best science fiction movies like Ex Machina, even if it’s not particularly simple to follow. When you can take in the whole movie, you will better understand what it must have been like to create the screenplay.
You’d be hard-pressed to discover any vulnerabilities in it despite its complexity. Give Primer a try if you’re seeking for some intense movies like Ex Machina.
13. Transcendence (2014)
- Director: Wally Pfister
- Cast: Johnny Depp, Rebecca Hall, Morgan Freeman, Cillian Murphy, Paul Bettany, Kate Mara, and Cole Hauser
- IMDb rating: 6.2/10
This movie was written and directed by Wally Pfister, Johnny Depp, Rebecca Hall, Morgan Freeman, Paul Bettany, Kate Mara, Cillian Murphy, and Clifton Collins Jr. stars.
A team of scientists creates a device that can upload a human mind into a computer, and this is the story’s main plot. The well-made and dramatic movie Transcendence explores the moral implications of tampering with genetic code.
It doesn’t have the same openly philosophical undertones as Ex Machina, but it raises some significant issues about the origins of life and what it means to be human.
Despite not focusing as much on the philosophical ramifications of artificial intelligence as Ex Machina, Transcendence is a thrilling and enjoyable film that is worth seeing. In addition, it has a strong female protagonist, which is uncommon in movies.
There are many more great movies like Ex Machina; the ones above are only a few examples. Check out some great movies to learn more about robots and artificial intelligence.
14. Another Earth (2011)
- Director: Mike Cahill
- Cast: Brit Marling, William Mapother, Matthew-Lee Erlbach, DJ Flava, Meggan Lennon, AJ Diana, and Bruce Colbert
- IMDb rating: 6.9/10
Unexpectedly, another Earth has surfaced. Everyone wants to know what it is. A young girl named Rhoda peeks at it while driving, and as a result, she kills someone’s pregnant wife and kid. Four years later, she visits her victim to confess her role in the crime.
In contrast, she gradually develops feelings for him. She also gets a plane ticket to Earth 2, which turns out to be a mirror image of Earth 1. It also suggests that his wife and children may exist in another form.
This movie is not an extreme instance of science fiction. Although there are some sci-fi aspects, the major emphasis is meant to be on a small group of people as they battle their inner demons.
Another Earth has a lot to offer if you like character-driven narratives. Only if you pay close attention to every single detail will you be able to appreciate how tragically lovely it is.
15. Upgrade (2018)
- Director: Leigh Whannell
- Cast: Logan Marshall-Green, Melanie Vallejo, Steve Danielsen, Abby Craden, Harrison Gilbertson, Benedict Hardie, and Richard Cawthorne
- IMDb rating: 7.5/10
In the science fiction action movie Upgrade, a paralyzed victim of a mugging chooses to undergo an experimental procedure that would provide him with superhuman power.
The procedure is successful, but there are some unanticipated side effects, such as a voice encouraging him to act vigilantly.
Upgrade is nonetheless an enjoyable and action-packed movie worth seeing, even if it does not focus as much on the philosophical implications of artificial intelligence as Ex Machina does.
16. Colossus: The Forbin Project (1970)
- Director: Joseph Sargent
- Cast: Eric Braeden, Susan Clark, Gordon Pinsent, William Schallert, Leonid Rostoff, Georg Stanford Brown, and Willard Sage
- IMDb rating: 7.1/10
There are numerous legendary instances of profoundly memorable and perceptive depictions of artificial intelligence to pick from in classic science fiction movies.
With The Terminator, James Cameron cemented the idea of a psychotic AI in public culture, and it would be criminal to overlook the iconic HAL 9000 from Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Few deal with it nearly as passionately as Joseph Sargent’s legendary thriller Colossus from 1970.
Colossus: The Forbin Project’s plot pits humanity’s brightest minds against the archetypal rogue defense system that controls the world’s nuclear weapons.
It is filled with all the unfathomable dread that only the height of Cold War paranoia could bring.
The movie, like Ex Machina, is very important and is yet underappreciated since it gives the viewer a lot to ponder after the credits have rolled.
