Entertainment
Netflix's Sci-Fi Thriller Accurately Predicted The Real Danger Of ChatGPT
By Jonathan Klotz
| Published
Go to any streaming service’s sci-fi section and, within 10 seconds of browsing, you’ll realize that there are enough evil AI movies that you can watch one every day for a year and still have more to go. The most terrifying one has landed on Netflix.
Though it’s lacking the body count of a M3GAN, or even a Terminator movie, it shows that the real danger of AI isn’t physical, it’s emotional. 2014’sEx Machina is a cerebral thriller that will make you think, and by the time the credits roll, you’ll never look at ChatGPT or Gemini the same way again.
She’s A Robot And That’s Ok
Future Star Wars co-stars Domhnall Gleeson and Oscar Isaac play, respectively, tech employee Caleb and eccentric CEO Nathan. Caleb thinks he’s won a special trip out to Nathan’s compound for a week when he’s quickly informed that Nathan’s developed a new type of AI and wants Caleb to determine if she’s achieved true consciousness. Caleb knows that Ava, Alicia Vikander’s breakout role, isn’t real, but as the two bond over several conversations, he starts to have doubts. Even knowing the truth from the beginning, Caleb becomes enraptured by the feminine robot, and that’s when the real problems start.
Ex Machina hit theaters years before AI chatbots became commonplace. In 2026, there are daily stories about someone becoming obsessed with their AI partner and either cutting off the rest of the world or doing something that they can’t come back from because a machine told them to do it. Turns out that Terminator, Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning, I, Robot, Tau, and countless others missed AI becoming a replacement for human companionship. Her came out a year before Ex Machina, and a decade later, those two are still the gold standards when it comes to the real, emotional cost of dealing with AI.
The Type Of Smart Sci-Fi Studios Left Behind
From the moment it hit theaters, Ex Machina was a success, certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes with a 92 percent critical rating and 86 percent audience rating. It’s a rare smart sci-fi during an era of visual spectacle. Written and directed by 28 Years Later’s writer Alex Garland, it’s far more visually stunning than a film that’s 90 percent dialogue has any right to be. Audiences couldn’t get enough of the philosophical musings, wild twists, and Oscar Isaac’s dance sequence.
The sparse film was a hard sell in theaters with a limited release and then a rapid rollout nationwide. Earning only $37 million, barely twice its budget of $15 million, without taking marketing or theater cuts into account, Ex Machina was not a blockbuster. Instead, it benefited from word of mouth over the last decade. The rising profile of everyone involved in the film certainly helped it grow over time into, not even a cult classic, but a bona fide hit.
Everyone involved in the film has gone on to further success: Gleeson and Isaac with Star Wars, Vikander with Tomb Raider, and even Sonoya Mizuno, who plays the silent housekeeper Kyoko, has appeared in multiple Garland films since. During that time, Ex Machina has only become more relevant, and as AI becomes more integrated into our daily lives, the siren call of machine companionship will become harder for people to ignore.
Entertainment
BookCon 2026: Authors Rachel Reid, Stephanie Archer talk hockey romance and how it could change the sport for the better
With the fervor of Heated Rivalry, there’s a fierce desire among book readers for even more hockey. On Sunday, April 19, at BookCon, the “You Had Me at Hockey: A Look at One of Sports Romance’s Hottest Genres”, authors Rachel Reid (Heated Rivalry, Game Changer), Emily Rath (Pucking Around), Ngozi Ukazu (Check Please), Stephanie Archer (The Wild Card), and Kate Cochrane (Wake Up, Nat & Darcy) were joined by moderator and fellow author Bal Khabra (Collide) to discuss the rise and continued success of hockey romance.
Khabra kicked off the panel, asking just how hockey became so popular. Ukazu joked that it was as if the genre “escaped containment,” like when the Omegaverse went mainstream, while Reid described the mystery around hockey, saying, “what [the players] are doing seems impossible.” Archer also added that the sport itself is exceptionally hard on the body, and the celebrity around players, especially in Canada, is fun to play with.
But there’s more to the genre’s success than the tropes. “It has to be said,” Rath argued, “that the cornerstone of why this is so popular in publishing is racism.” She went on to say that straight, white women’s voices dominated the romance genre for so long, pointing out that hockey is also the whitest sport. Among major league sports, the NHL is the most predominantly white. In 2022, ESPN reported that 83.6% of league players and staff were white, compared to the NFL, where 25-27% of players are white, or the NBA, where white players make up 17.5% of the league.
Mashable Top Stories
Zooming into the genre, the authors also spoke about the writing process. They dove into the deeper aspects of their work, even the smut. Rath said, “I think the least sexy thing you can ever do is write a sex scene.” A similar sentiment came up during Reid’s Saturday panel, where she described using the sex scenes to further the emotional arc. When readers ask authors if they can skip the spice, Archer says of her own books, “No, you can’t skip the sex scenes. You’re missing so much character development if you don’t go on the journey with them.”
The panel turned to the future, too. Many of the authors write BIPOC and queer representation into their novels, in a genre that often centers on whiteness and homophobia. “We’re writing the world as we want it to be,” Rath said.
Reid has found that there is progress toward a future that these authors and their readers want to see, saying that the NHL is interested in working with them. “People on the inside, they really want to work toward change and want to make this happen.”
With the hockey fandom at an all-time high, there’s a whole team behind these authors ready to drive change.
Entertainment
Save on gas (and everything else) with a $15 BJ’s membership
TL;DR: Score a one-year BJ’s membership for $15 (reg. $60) and save up to 20¢/gal. on gas through April 30 — just in time for spring shopping and road trips.
Credit: BJ’s Wholesale Club
The warmer weather tends to sneak up fast, and so do those grocery bills and gas receipts. A one-year membership to BJ’s Wholesale Club is one of those simple upgrades that can make everyday shopping feel a little more manageable.
You can currently grab a Club Card Membership with BJ’s Easy Renewal for just $15 (reg. $60) through April 30, which opens the door to savings across groceries, household essentials, and even your weekend cookout prep.
Mashable Deals
Let’s start with the obvious, though. Gas prices. Members already get everyday savings at BJ’s Gas, but during this promo window, you’ll get an extra 15¢ off per gallon stacked on top of the usual 5¢ discount — bringing your total to 20¢ off per gallon through April 30.
Inside the club, it’s all about stretching your dollar further. BJ’s is known for offering competitive pricing on national brands, plus a wide selection of fresh produce, meats, bakery items, and deli favorites. Whether you’re planning a backyard BBQ, stocking up for a party, or just trying to cut down on weekly grocery runs, buying in bulk can help simplify things.
Mashable Trend Report
There’s also something to be said for convenience. Fewer trips to the store, more options in one place, and access to seasonal items that make spring and summer feel extra special.
Get a one-year Club Card Membership with BJ’s Easy Renewal® for just $15 (reg. $60) and enjoy an extra 15¢ off per gallon at any of the 199 BJ’s gas stations through April 30.
Grabbing this deal? Build your cart to $100+ and score a lifetime license to Microsoft Office 2021 free with code GWP4MAC (for Mac) or GWP4WIND (for Windows) through April 19.
Gift with $100+ purchase promo ends April 19, 2026. Exclusions apply. Only one promo code applicable per order. Prices subject to change.
StackSocial prices subject to change.
Entertainment
This $43 bundle quietly upgrades your entire PC experience
TL;DR: This rare Microsoft bundle deal gives you a lifetime license to Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows and Windows 11 Pro for only $42.97 (reg. $418.99) through May 17.
$42.97
$418.99
Save $376.02
Looking for an affordable way to make your old PC feel new again? If you don’t have the funds to buy a brand new computer, don’t worry. The Ultimate Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows lifetime license and Windows 11 Pro Bundle is the next best thing, offering your computer a total upgrade for only $42.97 through May 17.
Don’t count out your dusty old PC. This Microsoft bundle is here to give it a total facelift for less than $50. It kicks off with a lifetime license to some of the brand’s most popular tools — Microsoft Office, which you’ll pay for once and enjoy without any subscription fees.
Mashable Deals
You’ll get permanent access to a suite of eight helpful apps with Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows. It includes staples that have been around for decades, like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook. You’ll also get newer favorites like Teams, OneNote, Access, and Publisher.
Once you’ve loaded the apps onto your device, you can upgrade your OS to Windows 11 Pro. It’s an operating system made for modern professionals, with tools that support your workflow. Enjoy a more powerful search experience, improved voice typing, a seamless interface, snap layouts, and much more.
You can rest easy knowing Windows 11 Pro takes your cybersecurity seriously. You’ll have biometric logins, encrypted authentication, and advanced antivirus defenses to keep your data secure.
Mashable Deals
Show your PC some love with the Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows and Windows 11 Pro bundle for only $42.97 (reg. $418.99) now until May 17.
StackSocial prices subject to change.
Dodgers' Roki Sasaki hopes his turnaround starts vs. Rockies
Nothing comes easily for M's ahead of finale vs. Rangers
