I would have easily missed it if I had only watched the movie. But reading the Ex Machina script made it impossible to ignore: Caleb’s isolation from the world is framed through sound, in both the beginning and the end.
–Spoiler Alert–
Opening: When his colleagues celebrate him, Caleb doesn’t even hear them; he’s too wrapped up in himself. The script describes it: “He still has his headphones in. Still in the audio bubble, which, despite the commotion around him, remains unburst.”
Ending: As Ava leaves him trapped inside Nathan’s house, Caleb shouts her name, yet “On our side of the glass, there is silence.” How ironic.
I take it as a reminder that disconnection works both ways: keep the world at a distance, and one day you may need to reach out, only to find no one can hear you, sealed off by the very walls you’ve built.
This “audio bubble” detail is subtle, but beautiful. And it makes me wonder… Did Alex Garland write the ending first, then go back to plant this perfect echo at the beginning?
A Screenwriter’s Journey 
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