Annihilation SPOILER-FREE Review
Run Time: 1 hour, 55 minutes
Rating: R
Directed by: Alex Garland
Starring: Natalie Portman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Oscar Isaac
With his directorial debut, Ex Machina, Alex Garland delivered on a fabulously fresh science fiction film. It dealt with strong issues concerning artificial intelligence and, even beyond that, it talked about the capacity of human love. Garland came out guns blazing with that film, so a lot of attention has since been drawn to his sophomore effort, Annihilation. The movie stars Natalie Portman as Lena, a widowed biologist whose husband (Oscar Isaac) disappeared while stationed overseas. She later learns the truth about his involvement in a government expedition into the Shimmer, a mysterious environmental disaster zone of extraterrestrial origins. Lena subsequently signs up to be part of the next expedition, this time consisting of all scientists, as they set out to figure out what exactly the Shimmer is. And that question is never quite answered. Annihilation has some great performances and some breathtaking visual effects, but the story lacks the depth that Ex Machina has, and it never gives you enough to be able to come to your own conclusions about what the Shimmer is. Instead, you're simply left asking, "What the fuck was that?"


Overall, Annihilation is a solid attempt by Alex Garland at creating a new provocative science fiction film, much in the vein of his first film, Ex Machina. However, while delivering on strong performances, a fascinating concept, and beautiful visuals, Annihilation ultimately feels rather hollow. It throws a whole bunch of things at you, but does nothing to show how they all connect. Great science fiction films will give the audience a sense of the mythology. Basically, they will give you the context so that you can then connect all the pieces on your own. Annihilation doesn't do this, but instead just presents you with a whole lot of really cool looking shit that has no apparent inherent basis whatsoever. By the end of the film, while I enjoyed watching the movie, it ends up feeling like a shallow experience. What does any of this amount to? There's nothing that will haunt me later or make me think for days afterwards. There are no questions asked, or ideas to ponder. In the end, Annihilation is a nice looking film that you can certainly enjoy, but it is rather void of any sort of true substance that elevates science fiction movies and makes them stand out among the rest.
3.2/5
What do you think? Have you seen Annihilation? If not, are you planning on seeing it? Leave your (spoiler-free) thoughts in the comments section below.
Written by: Nathanael Molnár
Written by: Nathanael Molnár
Email us your movie questions at: themovieparadise999@gmail.com
Like us on Facebook, and Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @movieparadise99
Like us on Facebook, and Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @movieparadise99
Thanks for writing this review. I'm a huge fan of the books and will definitely see the movie - but of course I have a broader context of understanding for Area X (aka "The Shimmer") than the typical movie-goer who hasn't read the books. The ambiguity you speak of is fine in the first book, when the reader knows full well that there are two more books coming. But can we be as assured that there are two more movies? Probably not.
ReplyDeleteExactly. Garland has also said he hasn’t read any of the other books in the series, so if the explanation doesn’t come until later in the series then Garland was essentially making this movie blind. Was it at least a faithful adaptation of the first novel?
Delete