Alex Garland is well established in the film industry—but has precious few films in his body of work. Having only directed two films, most of his work in the industry has been done at the keyboard as a writer. But what little he has created is really solid, promising work. He has a lot of upcoming projects—a television series called Devs as well as three films in development called Time Keeper, The Toymakers Secret and a film adaptation of the Halo video game franchise. Indeed, he is quite talented and fans of his have much to look forward to. Until then, here are his five best films so far.
Ex Machina (2014)
For a first foray into directing, Ex Machina is incredibly impressive. A computer technician (Domhnall Gleeson) is called upon by his enigmatic boss (Oscar Isaac) to help him with his artificially intelligent robot (Alicia Vikander). It is a tense and incredibly well-paced film.
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Annihilation (2018)
In Annihilation — Garland’s second time behind the camera — five women set out into a mysterious part of Earth called “The Shimmer” which alters the fabric of reality within it. The women’s internal individual crises and the horrors they witness inside of “The Shimmer” collide in an emotional way. The film was widely acclaimed upon its release, pointed to as further evidence of Garland’s skill.
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28 Days Later (2002)
With 28 Days Later, Garland was nominated quite a few times for his original screenplay. A man (Cillian Murphy) wakes up from a coma to find that London is deserted due to a zombie apocalypse of sorts. Directed by Danny Boyle, it is a bleak and very engrossing film.
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Never Let Me Go (2010)
Garland wrote the screenplay Never Let Me Go from the novel of the same name by Kazuo Ishiguro. It is science fiction dystopia in which three schoolyard friends (Carey Mulligan, Keira Knightley, Andrew Garfield) who have a revelation revealed to them which alters their lives forever. While it performed poorly at the box office, the film was critically acclaimed.
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Dredd (2012)
Among his many credits, Garland penned the screenplay for the adaptation of the comic book Judge Dredd series. Karl Urban plays the eponymous Judge Dredd, a cop in a futuristic dystopia. Dredd and his fellow “judges” roam the metropolis and act as judge, jury, and executioner all in one. It is a sturdy — albeit flawed — adaptation.
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