Every Alex Garland Movie and TV Show, Ranked

Alex Garland is one of the most successful science fiction writers working today, and has significantly changed the way that modern films look and feel. Garland’s work writing for director Danny Boyle resulted in 28 Days Later and Sunshine, both of which became highly influential. The development of fast-moving zombies and the interest in existentialist deep space adventures within modern science fiction can be directly tied to Garland. His other excellent screenplays include Dredd, Never Let Me Go, and the sequel 28 Weeks Later.

Following his acclaimed work as a screenwriter, Garland began directing feature films and television shows of his own. Garland’s newest project is the near-futuristic action epic Civil War, which stars Kirsten Dunst. In addition to receiving widespread approval from critics, Civil War remained atop the domestic box office two weekends in a row. Here is every movie and show directed by Alex Garland, ranked.

5 ‘Men’ (2022)

Starring Jessie Buckley, Rory Kinnear, and Gayle Rankin

Men was the film that tested Garland’s storytelling abilities and revealed that nothing about his direction would be effective if the concept wasn’t well-established. The 2022 film was Garland’s first attempt at the folk horror genre and told a fairly straightforward story about the recently widowed woman Harper Marlowe (Jessie Buckley) as she is stalked by a mysterious stranger (Rory Kinnear) who transforms into different bodies.

While this would theoretically make for a compelling thriller, Garland’s analysis of abusive relationships and gender dynamics felt paper thin. Even though Men was only 100 minutes, it felt like a great idea for a short film that had been stretched out far too long. Men was a disappointment, and it hopefully shouldn’t dissuade Garland from trying his hand at other horror films. Despite the weak material, Buckley still gives an emotionally compelling performance, and Kinnear is downright terrifying in some moments. The film’s incredible makeup work was completely snubbed of an Academy Award nomination.

4 ‘Devs’ (2020)

Starring Sonoya Mizuno, Karl Glusman, and Nick Offerman

Devs was Garland’s first miniseries, and while it aired in eight episodes on FX, it really felt like an eight-hour movie more than anything. Devs starts off as a simple murder mystery, but then quickly evolves into a deeper analysis of grief, trauma, the tech industry within Silicon Valley, and the search for God. With the expanded runtime, Garland had the freedom to let the characters hold extended conversations about their feelings and address some of the issues that the audience may have been concerned about.

Devs follows the software developer Lily Chan (Sonoya Mizuno) during her experience working at “Devs,” a highly secretive tech giant led by its enigmatic creator Forest (Nick Offerman in a surprisingly nuanced dramatic performance). Lily uses the opportunity to learn more about the death of her boyfriend Sergei (Karl Glusman), who died under mysterious circumstances on his first day working for Devs.

3 ‘Civil War’ (2024)

Starring Kirsten Dunst, Jesse Plemons, and Wagner Moura

A well-made action film constructed on a tantalizing premise, Garland’s latest, buzzy project is easy to recommend, but it still feels underwhelming. Healthy box-office numbers would suggest the filmmaker’s relatively neutral approach to the thriller about journalists trekking a wartorn near-futuristic U.S. was the right move. Though it’s made with the same level of intelligence and polish, Civil War lacks some of the bite and aftershock that made Annihilation and Ex Machina downright unforgettable.

Civil War is foremost a movie about ideas, and as that, in delivering on a what if scenario that will get the audience talking, it is certainly successful. It’s not so much a movie about events (save for the war, largely a backdrop) or people. The premise is a scorcher—as for the plot, there isn’t a lot of it. It’s a series of muscular, impressive action sequences strung together without much emotional connective tissue due to a shortage of memorable characters. Kirsten Dunst is flat-out fantastic as a photojournalist grappling with the weight of the new world.

2 ‘Annihilation’ (2018)

Starring Natalie Portman, Gina Rodriguez, and Oscar Isaac

Annihilation is Garland’s most rewatchable film because it’s the ultimate movie discussion starter. Some view it as an analysis of grief, but some critics took the film’s mind-blowing mythology to be entirely literal. Annihilation was definitely Garland’s most accomplished work as a director, as he created stunning visuals reminiscent of science fiction classics like Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey and Andrei Tarkovsky’s Stalker. It was an impressive step-up that proved that his brilliance as a writer was matched by his mastery of mood and atmosphere.

Annihilation follows the United States Army soldier Lena (Natalie Portman) as she joins a team of female scientists in their search through a mysterious biological area simply referred to as “The Shimmer.” Lena is keen to join the mission because after her husband Kane (Oscar Isaac) had ventured into the area, he came back a changed and nearly unrecognizable man.

1 ‘Ex Machina’ (2014)

Starring Domnhall Gleeson, Alicia Vikander, and Oscar Isaac

Ex Machina is Garland’s most successful film in terms of critical acclaim; the film earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay, despite the Oscars’ notorious bias against nominating science fiction films in major categories. Ex Machina is a great film to rewatch now, as its concerns about the development of artificial intelligence feel even more relevant. Garland was able to pose fascinating questions about what defines someone as “human” through his depiction of a literal Turing Test. It was a standout film for Garland as a visual storyteller, as on a visceral level it took inspiration from George Lucas’ science fiction masterpiece THX-1138 and other classics from the 1970s.

Ex Machina follows the tech programmer Caleb (Domhnall Gleeson) after he wins a mysterious contest for his highly secretive employer Nathan (Isaac). After joining Nathan in a one-week trip to his isolated private residency, Caleb is asked by his boss to participate in a test for a conscious artificial intelligence known as “Ava” (Alicia Vikander). As Caleb and Ava grow closer, he realizes that not only is Ava conscious but fully human in a way that he knows must be kept a secret. The tight construction of the script allows each character to truly shine, and the trio of performances is simply phenomenal. Among many reasons for its ranking at the top of the list is Isaac’s incredible dance sequence, which may be the most honest depiction of the bizarre nature of tech CEOs ever put to screen.