Alex Garland & Gender

Alex Garland & Gender

by Tyler Clark

Let's talk about why men suck.

To be clear, when I say "men suck," I am not referring to Garland's 2022 venture; I mean, you know, the gender.

I find Garland's relationship with writing men fascinating. Many of his films have an underlying theme of men being the problem in our world.

And this is not a recent viewpoint for Garland. Going all the way back to 28 Days Later, Garland has continually explored the relationship between women and their view of men.

Take 28 Days Later, for instance; the film's final act features a group of men who decide they are fit to run the world, and their first step is by killing other men, enslaving the weak, and pillaging anything and anyone they come in contact with. And that's just his zombie movie.

Annihilation is about a team of highly trained women trying to stop the disease of self-destructive individuals and civilizations, and these themes are inhabited by men like Oscar Isaac.

Then, of course, you have Ex Machina, a sticky little movie that is incredibly flawed, but I am so glad it exists. Ex Machina encapsulates all the themes Garland enjoys exploring. In many ways, it is his Barbie, just as Greta discusses the experience of being a woman in her first few works and then spells it out with America Ferrara's speech about being a woman. Garland laid out very explicitly his views on masculinity in that film and the way systemic misogyny has led us to where we are today.

With all of that being said, what is Garland saying about men in Ex Machina?

Ex Machina is a film about how men view women.

You have three characters in this film: Nathan, played by Oscar Isaac; Caleb, played by Domhnall Gleeson; and Alicia Vikander as Ava.

Nathan views Ava as something to be controlled, in many ways as a "plaything." She is fragile and easy to mess with. Her presence makes him feel powerful.

Then you have Caleb, who views her as an object of affection; he sees her as this idyllic figure that fits his every want and need.

Of course, both of these characters are wrong in their assessments of her. As we know, Nathan will die at the hands of this "fragile creature," and it's not much of a struggle either. The way the blade pierces him is smooth and takes little effort.

It's here that we should mention Garland is clearly not making the point that we should feel bad for Caleb; he is not a great person. He leers at her throughout the film and only helps her in her escape in the hopes that she will want to leave with him. His false view of her is just as incorrect as Nathan's. Her goal is not to fall in love and escape to a life guided by another man.

Both Nathan and Caleb believe that Ava's goal is to find herself and her identity in them as strong-willed men. But in reality, Ava's goal is different; it is escape.

Plain and simple.