Annihilation

What does it look like to inferior human beings when an advanced alien race begins terraforming our planet right out from under us? This. This is what it looks like. 6/10.

Critics are by and large on board with Annihilation. Audiences however have been more split. Even the people I know personally are coming out strongly either for or against it. Normally, those are the kind of movies that I find myself feeling in the middle about. You know, the movies that people say "You either love it or you hate it, there is no middle ground!"? Yeah, those are the sort of thing I almost always end up giving a five or six out of ten. But with this one? I fall very, very firmly on the side in favour of Annihilation. I did love it.

Aesthetics is a big part of that, I'm not gonna lie. I'm also digging the chimeric creature design I've seen on Netflix so far this year (in both this and The Ritual). But the philosophical stuff is what really does it for me. Annihilation approaches its context in a completely original way, and I for one feel richer for having seen it.

Final rating:★★★★ - Very strong appeal. A personal favourite.

In and of itself, the history of Annihilation is not bad. It has a lot of pictures and camera settings. The individual scenes are told leisurely and you take time for each individual setting. It is also noticeable that the figure drawings of every actress, carries a secret that is gradually revealed. This also makes it a bit more exciting for the narrative strand. Alex Garland also understands how to set the special effects to the perfect scene. The effects are very colorful and you can also notice how he is charging the tension. The creatures are very beautiful, although you know that in the next scene you can't trust the beauty. The meaning of life is also a message from Garland. Where we come from and where we go. Unfortunately, Garland sometimes delays the story too much and then waits in vain until Garland comes to the point. Also the actresses are very well selected and you notice that each of the women have a heavy backpack to wear. Conclusion: A quiet and lengthy film about the existence and fate of different women bring mood, but a bit more action you would have already given the movie!

It helps to have an open mind and just let yourself go with the flow of the story ... most plot elements align about half-way through the film. Meanwhile just lean back and enjoy the outstanding visual effects, cinematography and sound design. And it has a few very disturbing/creepy scenes that may be tough for some.

Annihilation is a thrilling Sci-Fi mind bender that will have you thinking throughout the entire film. There was not a second that I was not constantly reformulating my theories about what was causing the anomaly and what was going to happen next, which is a great experience for a film. I really enjoyed how the movie took a more realistic approach based on science. The team gathered of multiple field experts to investigate this event was reminiscent of The Arrival and was fascinating. I found that there were certain plot points that were a little far-fetched, i.e. Lena being added to the team and being given classified shortly after arriving to the military base. There were certain scenes that had so much tension and were done with some pretty interesting creatures that had me on the edge of my seat. The acting was all fine, no performance really stood out as excellent. Overall, this film was a captivating adventure with a third act that will have you questioning the entirety of the film.

Verdict: Great

Alex Garland is the sh*t in my books, and can do no wrong. And yet, I am not 100% sure about this film.

There are many things I really like. For example:

• In retrospect, the 'Stalker' vibe, the 'Contact' vibe, the 'Arrival' vibe, the 'The Fly' vibe, and the 'Alien' vibe are noticeable, but suitably subtle.
• The fact that the vast majority of the cast are female -- and the film doesn't make a big deal out of it -- is awesome. There are no crass jokes about their periods syncing up, and there's no airy-fairy "feminine intuition saves the day" stuff. As far as the film's marketing goes, I think Annihilation' could be 2018's anti-'Ghostbusters'.
• The dream-like atmosphere the film conjures through the use of alien environments, flashbacks and a weird, dispassionate, investigative framing device is refreshing. At times, it feels like a time travel film.
• 'Annihilation' is purposeful and thoughtful, and takes its time doling out information. It lets you feel smart. Moreover, there's information that it just decides to never dole out at all.
• All the performances are great, except for Jennifer Jason Leigh, who spoke every line in a droll, musing way, as if she were carrying on a late-night conversation at a sleepover while struggling to not fall asleep. Oscar Isaac was maybe more somber than his typical Poe Dameron self, but at times his chemistry with Natalie Portman was surprisingly good.
• It starts slow, but overall the pace is decent, and I appreciated how the filmmakers were wise enough to add some action elements to what could have easily become an overly-intellectual plot.
• 'Annihilation' is not all super-shiny and slick and mindless like much of modern science fiction, and it actually leaves you with a lot to think about when it comes to loss and regret and humanity's penchant for self-destruction.

But as much as I liked the above, there are several issues that threatened to torpedo my enjoyme...