There have been a number of androids in cinema and yet Garland gave Ava a distinctive look, creating the true highlight of the film. Ava has skin layered over her hands, feet, and face, but everything else is robotic molding, apparent with her clear arms and legs that show the connections between the limbs. So far is the conceptualization brought to reality here that we actually get a monologue on what Ava’s “brain” is made out of: something along the lines of liquid electronics able to build and mold itself. Against the backdrop of the ultra modern compound where Nathan and Caleb are, Ava manages to look perfectly at home.

Yet as the film progresses, each new day is announced with a title card and we get an impending sense of doom. The facility, which is Nathan’s secluded workspace for this experiment on a remote piece of land he owns in the middle of millions of acres, is plagued by sporadic power outages that cause the entire place to take on a nightmare feel and shut down to make sure nothing can get in or out. Nathan even has Caleb sign an incredibly thorough non-disclosure agreement, despite being in a secluded compound. Of course, it all makes sense as the tech he is going to reveal is a game changer. Nathan has various cameras throughout the facility and monitors Caleb’s interactions with Ava. He guides Caleb and wants him to try to pierce the veil of Ava’s mind. He wants Caleb to explore without inhibition as he plays mentor, when he isn’t getting stumble-down drunk.

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