The new British indie sci-fi thriller The Machine is drawing a lot of comparisons to Blade Runner* for its exploration of what makes us human. This one’s a lot more blatant in its approach, however. The protagonist may as well have been shown actually beating a dead horse, screaming “If she loves, she’s human!” There are a lot of other ideas packed into its script though and the production design is really slick on a humble budget. It’s a mixed bag that leads up to a wholly predictable climax, but for the most part, the good parts outweigh the bad.

In an attempt to cure his fatally ill daughter, talented neuroscientist Vincent (Toby Stephens) is secretly using his hefty government funding to develop a self-aware being of artificial intelligence. The U.S. is at war with China, so the Ministry of Defense is sparing no expense to fund Vincent, but instead of repairing wounded soldiers, he’s creating a cyborg in the visage of his former assistant Ava (Caity Lotz), who met a cruel fate at the hand of enemy goons. It’s soon clear that Ava’s empathy and moral compass is superior to the humans around her, but Vincent’s boss (Denis Lawson) isn’t interested in her emotions – he simply wants her to be the perfect weapon.

Lotz’s performance as the titular machine is genuinely moving in parts as she discovers herself and her relationship with Vincent transitions from creator to patriarch figure. When she’s “activated,” she’s essentially a newborn baby, a fragile child struggling with nature vs. nurture. Vincent acts as the nurturer while Lawson represents nature, teaching her it’s better to kill your enemies before they can get the upper hand. While her heart draws her towards VThe new British indie sci-fi thriller The Machine is drawing a lot of comparisons to Blade Runner* for its exploration of what makes us human. This one’s a lot more blatant in its approach, however. The protagonist may as well have been shown actually beating a dead horse, screaming “If she loves, she’s human!” There are a lot of other ideas packed into its script though and the production design is really slick on a humble budget. It’s a mixed bag that leads up to a wholly predictable climax, but for the most part, the good parts outweigh the bad.

In an attempt to cure his fatally ill daughter, talented neuroscientist Vincent (Toby Stephens) is secretly using his hefty government funding to develop a self-aware being of artificial intelligence. The U.S. is at war with China, so the Ministry of Defense is sparing no expense to fund Vincent, but instead of repairing wounded soldiers, he’s creating a cyborg in the visage of his former assistant Ava (Caity Lotz), who met a cruel fate at the hand of enemy goons. It’s soon clear that Ava’s empathy and moral compass is superior to the humans around her, but Vincent’s boss (Denis Lawson) isn’t interested in her emotions – he simply wants her to be the perfect weapon.

Lotz’s performance as the titular machine is genuinely moving in parts as she discovers herself and her relationship with Vincent transitions from creator to patriarch figure. When she’s “activated,” she’s essentially a newborn baby, a fragile child struggling with nature vs. nurture. Vincent acts as the nurturer while Lawson represents nature, teaching her it’s better to kill your enemies before they can get the upper hand. While her heart draws her towards Vincent, Ava is wicked good at doing martial arts in a skin-tight, flesh covered suit, so some viewers may want her to stray toward the nature side of things.

Stephens and Lotz have great chemistry on screen as he struggles through his own ethical dilemma as well. Their relationship dips into romantic territory at times, but it feels like a very organic move and never overshadows the main story. The screenplay, written by director Caradog W. James, muddles through other murky side plots that are hurriedly looked at. There’s the revolution among the reborn, brain-implanted soldiers at the research facility, as well as Chinese agents running about. This leads to a climactic insurrection you can see coming a mile away, which is made up a fairly standard shootout action scene.

While for the most part The Machine is competent, it has difficulty balancing all of these stories and its “thinking man’s sci-fi” approach. In regards to the “what makes us human” theme, this film gives layman plenty to chew on, but for seasoned sci-fi fans, nothing is really brought to the table. The relationship between man and machine was even explored more deeply in last year’s Her. But for a nice blend of action and sci-fi The Machine is a suitable, enteraining film.

* more than a thematic similarity is the shot of Vincent standing over a docile Ava, his hands cradling her head in silhouette. It’s the same “Do you love me, do you trust me?” bit from Blade Runner.incent, Ava is wicked good at doing martial arts in a skin-tight, flesh covered suit, so some viewers may want her to stray toward the nature side of things.

Stephens and Lotz have great chemistry on screen as he struggles through his own ethical dilemma as well. Their relationship dips into romantic territory at times, but it feels like a very organic move and never overshadows the main story. The screenplay, written by director Caradog W. James, muddles through other murky side plots that are hurriedly looked at. There’s the revolution among the reborn, brain-implanted soldiers at the research facility, as well as Chinese agents running about. This leads to a climactic insurrection you can see coming a mile away, which is made up a fairly standard shootout action scene.

While for the most part The Machine is competent, it has difficulty balancing all of these stories and its “thinking man’s sci-fi” approach. In regards to the “what makes us human” theme, this film gives layman plenty to chew on, but for seasoned sci-fi fans, nothing is really brought to the table. The relationship between man and machine was even explored more deeply in last year’s Her. But for a nice blend of action and sci-fi The Machine is a suitable, enteraining film.

* more than a thematic similarity is the shot of Vincent standing over a docile Ava, his hands cradling her head in silhouette. It’s the same “Do you love me, do you trust me?” bit from Blade Runner.