Annihilation charts a course alongside a biologist as she joins a dangerous, classified expedition to "The Shimmer," a place where the laws of nature no longer apply. Only inside can she and her team unravel the mystery of it all.
Annihilation is the second film to be written and directed by Alex Garland following Ex Machina, and it's yet another stunning work of cerebral science fiction from the director. Garland has adapted Jeff VanderMeer's novel into a high concept sci-fi story about self-destruction, and although I've heard it's not a faithful adaptation, it's certainly both interesting and thought-provoking. While the marketing may suggest it's a sci-fi horror like Alien, I'd actually liken it to more philosophical work such as Denis Villenueve's Arrival. There's elements of horror incorporated into the film for sure, but Annihilation's much more involved in exploring metaphysical mysteries than trying to excite audiences.
If there's one thing I'm sure of, it's that Annihilation will not be a film for everyone. The third act will almost certainly be divisive among audiences due to its ambiguity, and I imagine many won't be onboard with the story's direction whatsoever. Even though I quite enjoyed it, I can totally understand why someone would carry the opposite point-of-view, and Paramount seems to be aware that this film isn't intended to be consumed by the masses considering the film will be released straight to Netflix internationally. With that in mind, I hope the studio doesn't take away the wrong lessons from this weekend's lackluster box office performance and continues to release daring, innovative films.
I, myself, found this film fascinating from start-to-finish as I was fully invested in exploring the estranged interior of "The Shimmer" and incessantly awestruck by the resplendent psychedelic sensibilities of the film's visuals. Annihilation is extraordinarily impressive from both a visual and audible standpoint thanks to phenomenal production design from Mark Digby, splendid otherworldly imagery captured by cinematographer Rob Hardy, vibrant visual effects work, and sensational sound design. Everything inside "The Shimmer" carried an element of intrigue with it while resembling something that was simultaneously beautiful and dreamlike, yet horrifying and nightmarish, and the swelling score composed by Geoff Barrow and Ben Salisbury reflected the ethereal environment perfectly!
In regards to acting, the entire ensemble provides a substantive performance. As you may be able to tell from the photos I've included in the review, the cast is primarily female and sometimes that can work to a film's detriment if the focus is placed on empowerment over simply telling a good representative story, but Annihilation thankfully doesn't fall into that trap. Natalie Portman leads as Lena and puts forth yet another powerhouse performance, as is to be expected. Portman imbues her character with a lot of subtlety and nuance that really pays off once her self-destructive tendencies are revealed to the audience, though witnessing her change and growth as a character was perhaps the most rewarding. Rounding out the team are strong turns from Jennifer Jason Leigh, Tessa Thompson, Gina Rodriguez, and Tuva Novotny as pessimistic psychologist and leader Dr. Ventress, vulnerable physicist Josie Radek, outgoing and outspoken paramedic Anya Thorensen, and the weary, understated anthropologist Cass Sheppard. Oscar Isaac and Benedict Wong each have minimal screen time, but carry crucial presences in the film respectively.
Annihilation isn't merely something that can only be appreciated through its staggering technical achievements though. In fact, I was hooked by my interest in the characters as well as a genuine desire to discover the inner workings of this uncanny atmosphere. That last bit will probably be a commonality for viewers as they struggle to figure out what the heck is going on within the confines of this unnatural area, and I'm sure a good portion of those curious will leave immensely frustrated when Garland doesn't offer them all the answers on a silver platter. This is a film you'll need to digest and think about for awhile afterwards before settling on a verdict, hence why it took a little longer than usual for me to share this review. If you judge the film purely based on your knee-jerk reaction to the insane ending, then everything will be lost on you. This film requires in-depth thought and analysis in order to piece together your own interpretation of it all, and if that doesn't sound like something you're interested in, then this is definitely not for you.
However, I implore those prepared to contemplate weighty philosophies to go out and support this film to demonstrate to the studio that there is actually an audience for this type of ambitious storytelling. If that sounds like you or you were interested in seeing Annihilation, I say give it a shot because opinions are quite scattered all over the place on this film.
Whatever the case may be, Annihilation is a big, bold, and breathtaking work of science fiction that should be experienced on the largest screen possible. Prepare all you'd like, but your mind will be annihilated nonetheless.
