Annihilation Review

Paramount Pictures

     Paramount Pictures is in a bit of a rut right now, having faced the loss of a major production partner and a couple years of mostly duds. Just in the past year, the company has not released a film that you would consider a hit, with a few being barely profitable and others downright bombing. This has included films that are actually good like mother!, but in the face of these difficulties they have decided to remove the risk by dumping Annihilation onto Netflix (ala The Cloverfield Paradox) in every country except America, Canada and China. So does that mean that this film, from the writer-director of Ex Machina, is a dud? Let’s find out!

     Annihilation tells the story of biologist Lena (Natalie Portman), whose husband, a military man called Kane (Oscar Isaac), appears out of nowhere after a year missing. When Kane begins to hemorrhage, the two are captured by a secretive government organization and taken to the Gulf Coast, where a mysterious phenomenon called "The Shimmer" awaits them. An expanding dome of unknown origin, purpose or affect, the government has sent in several teams (of which Kane was a member) to investigate to no avail and with no survivors until now. Needing to discover the truth, Lena joins a team of scientists on their next expedition, finding not only answers, but beauty, horror, and a mindbending series of twists and turns.
     This is not a movie that can be easily defined. On the one hand it is a very weighty, thoughtful science fiction film based around numerous intellectual concepts, and on the other it does feature some genuine thrills, awe-inspiring moments and some cool action. The fact that it doesn’t collapse onto itself is a testament to the skills of Alex Garland, who delivers such a tight and well thought out script that as things unfolded I could only sit and watch in a daze. I haven’t been this impressed by a script for a science fiction film since Inception, another high concept film that was also very entertaining to watch.

YouTube

And also very loud.

     Garland’s talents aren’t just limited to writing, as he delivers a beautifully rendered yet still horrifying world in the realm of the Shimmer. Compared to the dark, drab outside world, the Shimmer has popping colors, interesting floral arrangements (to say the least), and some well-designed creatures. This adds to the mystery and terror, and the climactic sequence of the film hurt my eyes because I was too afraid that I'd blink and miss something awesome. Everything seems so well thought out and planned, down to the seemingly random (but definitely not) alternating musical cues of a guitar and a weird electronic blaring noise. This is some pro level planning and construction here, guys. It's quite something to behold.
     It’s not just Garland who does great work, as all of the actors and particularly the actresses do an excellent job conveying the horror of this world. While Natalie Portman is mostly reserved, she has a lot of great moments to shine both in the flashbacks to her normal life and as she descends further into The Shimmer. Gina Rodriguez and Tessa Thompson are also excellent as two of Lena’s compatriots, both carrying their own emotional trauma and skills. Rodriguez gets to play a more intense character with a particularly disturbing arc, while Thompson is quieter and intelligent but still tragic in her own right. I was also very impressed by Tuva Novotny, who plays Sheppard, an anthropologist who bonds with Lena along the initial journey.

Paramount Pictures

Are we sure we can't just make them the Ghostbusters?

     My favorite thing about this film, and the thing that might make people leave frustrated, is just how many questions it forces you to contemplate without giving many answers. By the end of the film you will understand how the Shimmer operates, but not why it came to Earth, whether it as a force is intelligent, whether it is evil, etc. These are things left up to us, as is the ultimate question of what the film is actually about (my guess is about trauma and the effect it has on different people, but there are multiple valid interpretations. I love this kind of writing, as all the pieces are there to make a convincing argument for your view, but there are no concrete signs pointing more towards one way. I know saying all this makes people’s eyes glaze over, but the tension, horror and action bits really go a long way to keep audiences engaged. It’s heady, yes, but still an entertaining ride.
     I have two complaints with this film, one that may be nothing and one that is very valid. The first is the character of Dr. Ventress (Jennifer Jason Leigh), the leader of this expedition. She is portrayed very dry and deadpan, offering almost no emotion even in the face of some of the dangers in The Shimmer, and I just don’t know how to feel about that. Character bits about her are sprinkled throughout and explain some things, but overall I don’t think the film does a good enough job justifying how she behaves. Perhaps The Shimmer has taken her mind or maybe the tour of duty has taken its toll on her, but these aren’t stated in any way or even hinted at, so I guess it depends on your specific theory on the film.

The Art of VFX

Natalie Portman ain't scared. She's hardcore, y'all.

     My real, solid complaint is that I feel like some of the flashbacks meant to flesh out Lena’s character just aren’t necessary. They are sprinkled throughout like a sort of mystery, but one of them is just a useless repeat and others just feel like they drag a bit too long. If there is any tightening that needed to be done it is in these sequences, but thankfully they don’t leave too much of a bad taste. I just wish that they weren’t set up to be important when in reality they aren’t, making this a rather petty complaint. This movie is pretty great, honestly. 
     Annihilation is a challenging, thought-provoking and yet fully entertaining film that continues the recent run of excellent science fiction on the big screen. While not as good as a Blade Runner 2049 or Garland’s Ex Machina, the bold ideas and beautiful visuals demand to be seen on the big screen, and the acting and writing is superb across the board. Alex Garland is proving to be one of the most promising talents of this recent crop of filmmakers, and I really hope you go out and support this film. Amidst the giant blockbusters and comedies and other cinematic fodder, its movies like these that not only need but deserve your money. So after watching Black Panther again (which you should, it’s also quite good), give this a look!

Annihilation is in theaters now.

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