The first image has arrived from 28 Days Later and Sunshine screenwriter Alex Garland’s directorial debut Ex Machina.  The psychological thriller revolves around a billionaire programmer who invites a young employee to spend a week at his remote estate and to participate in a test involving an artificially intelligent female robot that he invented.  Oscar Isaac and Domhnall Gleeson star, and based on this first image it appears that Isaac is playing the inventor.  The actor previously told us that the pic is a “provocative, sci-fi sexual thriller” and described it as “a great three-hander with people torturing each other with their brains, in rooms.”  It’s certainly a fascinating premise, and Garland’s track record as a screenwriter (which also includes Never Let Me Go and Dredd) is great so I’m eager to see how he fares in the director’s chair.

Hit the jump to check out the first Ex Machina image.  The film also stars Alicia Vikander and does not currently have a release date, but this Ex Machina image debut may be a sign that it could pop up on the 2014 Cannes Film Festival schedule that goes up soon.

Here’s the official synopsis for Ex Machina:

Ex Machina is an intense psychological thriller, played out in a love triangle between two men and a beautiful robot girl.  It explores big ideas about the nature of consciousness, emotion, sexuality, truth and lies.

Ex Machina image and synopsis via The Playlist.

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Image via A24 Films