That's why we're proud to announce the relaunch of MashFlix, our digital and IRL film club, with Alex Garland's latest feature film, Ex Machina, a tale of technology and the complications of artificial intelligence.



We'll be spending the next few weeks showcasing content and contests about the film, fostering online discussion, and getting you set for our free screening with Garland himsel

Ex Machina is Garland's directorial debut, having found success in screenwriting and producing with 28 Days Later, Sunshine and Dredd. The film follows a young lamb of a programmer named Caleb Smith (Domnhall Gleeson) who wins the trip of a lifetime; a stay at the home of his company's genius, heavily bearded CEO, Nathan Bateman (Oscar Isaac).

There, he encounters Ava (Alicia Vikander), a beautiful and mysterious AI, under the strictest of confidential terms. As Caleb and Ava spend more time together, he finds himself entranced by her emotional intelligence and begins to grow more paranoid about Nathan's true intentions.

It's Do Android's Dream of Electric Sheep meets 2001: A Space Odyssey, with their magnetic, not-so-human characters and peaceful, if claustrophobic settings. Garland brings new life to the AI tradition by raising the ethical concerns of developing technologies to the forefront of the audience's mind.

It may breed some controversy, but the film touches on so many issues we write about at Mashable — from the future of tech to the disturbing relationship the industry can sometimes have with women and diversity — that we wanted to bring it to you directly, and hear your thoughts.

Watch the trailer for a thrilling preview of the movie, and then sign up for the free screening and Q&A with the director at the Wythe Hotel in Williamsburg on April 8 at 7 p.m. ET. If you can't join in person, be sure to follow MashFlix on Twitter and we'll keep you posted about how you can join in on the discussion online.