MovieChat Forums > Under the Skin (2014) Discussion > Under the Skin or Ex Machina?

Under the Skin or Ex Machina?


I also posted this topic on the Ex Machina board. Two of the best science fiction films of the past decade. Which one is your favorite and why? Feel free to share thoughts, opinions, etc. I personally prefer Under the Skin, though again, both are excellent in their own right.

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I haven't seen Ex Machina yet, and want to. So I won't judge to two films.

Another good sci-fi movie like Under the Skin is Starman. Alien visits Earth. Clones himself a body from a dead man's hair sample. And has only a few days to get to the landing zone to be saved. During that time. He starts to develop human feelings and emotions.

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Another good sci-fi movie like Under the Skin is Starman. Alien visits Earth. Clones himself a body from a dead man's hair sample. And has only a few days to get to the landing zone to be saved. During that time. He starts to develop human feelings and emotions.


don't forget Nicolas Roeg's "The man who fell to earth"

Ex machina is slightly better

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don't forget Nicolas Roeg's "The man who fell to earth"


Absolutely. I was reminded of it throughout. That and 2001: A Space Odyssey.


No, silly

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Ex Machina by far. Nuanced, intelligent, stylish as *beep*, provocative & not a boring drag like Under the skin.

What about the forests?...... NOPE!

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I gave both a 9, but Under the Skin was probably more a 9.3 and Ex more of a 8.7. Ex was dialogue driven while Under was all images and music. I prefer images and music which are so much more impressive film making when done right. I was dreaming about Under for a few weeks while I just think about Ex. Throw in Moon and its been nice to see such excellent SF being made.

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Ex Machina by a mile. It's a beautiful movie, and it gets bonus points for making sense.

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I thought Ex Machina felt contrived, staged. Under the Skin is just another thing altogether.

Science can't explain everything, but religion can't explain anything.

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I appreciate the question and, while I don't dislike Under the Skin at all, there's no real argument here: Ex Machina is a much better movie. But, honestly, it's hard to compare the two because they're almost different genres. I get that the central theme of what it is to be human is shared but the movies go about it in much different ways.
If I have any problem with Under the Skin, it's that it is almost too ambiguous for its own good. I could see how this could be a turn-off for some people. I would've liked to have received a little more substance. I can read between the lines as good as anyone but it's really tough to understand the message they're trying to send here. And what's the answer? A little too ambiguous.
On the other hand, while Ex Machina does leave some ambiguity, it also gives you more to go on. I felt there was more substance there to base my theories on.

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Under The Skin. Though I felt the last section felt less like it was carrying the narrative weight of the preceding 90 minutes or so and more like it was a left over idea from a music video. It was a film that at least let you feel something rather than tell you directly what to. Also Ex-Machina's third act was wank.

"All I want, is to enter my hoes justified"

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