Annihilation- An Odyssey that's down to earth.
Its so hard these days to find cosmic horror in the unknown. With the world connected by the global zeitgiest and fear being portrayed in social constructs rather than aliens from outer space. It feels like films such as 2001:A Space Odyssey (1968) and The Thing (1982) aren't leaving the same fear of the existential that they once did when they first came out. So in 2019, we have a contemporary addition to the cosmic horror genre in Alex Garlands latest eerie sci fi flic Annihilation. Based on the trilogy by Jeff VanderMeer, Natalie Portman stars as Lena, a biologist whose husband (Oscar Issac) reappears after being presumed dead now with a strangely different personality. Suddenly his body breaks down as Lena is thrown into an all women expedition lead by Dr Ventress (Jennifer Jason Leigh) into an unknown expanding area called "The Shimmer", which could have the answers that Lena seeks about her estranged husband.
Before this movie was even released, there was a lot of worry about how it would be taken by its audience. Garland has already established himself as one of the pillars of modern Sci fi after his dazzlingly thought provoking hit Ex Machina. Nevertheless with a new major directing budget, fans were skeptical when news came of his new adaptation of a book series that was considered unfilmable by its peers. However Garland still delivers a feast for the eyes as we see so much jaw-dropping spectacle in a mixture of nature and alien, from breathtaking forests, to horrific mutated cadavers. Through its many fascinating visuals, each relating to the major themes and ideas relating to characters of the film, we get a true sense of balance in the fear and the beauty in the unknown. The film reminds us that what is alien is not always hostile and sometimes may not have a motive, thats what makes it truly alien which is a refreshing take on the genre. We see lots of homage's to other cosmic sci fi films. In particular, the body horror of "The shimmers" creations harkens back to the Sci-fi classics of John Carpenter and David Cronenberg and will definitely leave the more nauseous cinema goers with an upset stomach.
The cast has a solid collection of confident and intelligent characters. Portman gives a strong, standout performance and expresses so much during scenes where there is no dialogue at all. Jason Leigh as the cryptic psychologist kept the audience always on edge with her creatively restrained performance. As for the supporting cast, it is refreshing to see a variation in female roles from Gina Rodriguez as the cocky, soldier with PTSD; Tessa Thompson who shows a more sensitive approach to her scientist role than her Hollywood persona; even Swedish actress Tuva Nuvotny gives an impactful presence with piercing effect. What is even more impressive is how Garland understands the importance of character flaws. When we are introduced to our all female expedition team (which luckily is not played up for attention like Ghostbusters) each person has clear trauma that they are trying to overcome, from losing a loved one, to living with cancer. It is so refreshing seeing these issues presented with subtlety and perfectly blending with the themes of self destruction and changing.
Although while the film is incredibly dynamic in its themes, it is not a perfect representation of scientific logic. Many times did I think of more practical ways that the expedition team could of handled the problem at hand. However this is going into the nip pickings that click-bate sites are so fond of. Its clear that the film is not for the factual, but for the unexplainable. Also while the film has some amazing moments of suspense, its overall tone can leave some viewers a little overwhelmed. There are so many ideas and concepts in this world but there is no time to really explain them. It focuses primarily on the themes and correlation of imagery rather than a straightforward narrative which can leave a lot of the audience scratching their heads and feeling disappointed. Ultimately Garlands films are intended to leave the viewer with unanswered questions, which ultimately are left to the audience to decipher. This can be enlightening for some, but can also be time wasting for others.
Overall this latest addition to Garlands Science fiction legacy is a welcome addition. Sadly it seems that it doesn't match the big budget Hollywood hopes that the studio were looking for. It does upset me that a film with such beauty and visual brilliance wouldn't get the cinema screening time that it deserved. Nevertheless it has gained a big following since its Netflix release so I hope that Garland doesn't forsake his mind blowing creativity. Either way this film is a must watch for any sci-fi fan and will leave you shocked, confused, unnerved, but above all speechless.
Film Grade: B+
Before this movie was even released, there was a lot of worry about how it would be taken by its audience. Garland has already established himself as one of the pillars of modern Sci fi after his dazzlingly thought provoking hit Ex Machina. Nevertheless with a new major directing budget, fans were skeptical when news came of his new adaptation of a book series that was considered unfilmable by its peers. However Garland still delivers a feast for the eyes as we see so much jaw-dropping spectacle in a mixture of nature and alien, from breathtaking forests, to horrific mutated cadavers. Through its many fascinating visuals, each relating to the major themes and ideas relating to characters of the film, we get a true sense of balance in the fear and the beauty in the unknown. The film reminds us that what is alien is not always hostile and sometimes may not have a motive, thats what makes it truly alien which is a refreshing take on the genre. We see lots of homage's to other cosmic sci fi films. In particular, the body horror of "The shimmers" creations harkens back to the Sci-fi classics of John Carpenter and David Cronenberg and will definitely leave the more nauseous cinema goers with an upset stomach.The cast has a solid collection of confident and intelligent characters. Portman gives a strong, standout performance and expresses so much during scenes where there is no dialogue at all. Jason Leigh as the cryptic psychologist kept the audience always on edge with her creatively restrained performance. As for the supporting cast, it is refreshing to see a variation in female roles from Gina Rodriguez as the cocky, soldier with PTSD; Tessa Thompson who shows a more sensitive approach to her scientist role than her Hollywood persona; even Swedish actress Tuva Nuvotny gives an impactful presence with piercing effect. What is even more impressive is how Garland understands the importance of character flaws. When we are introduced to our all female expedition team (which luckily is not played up for attention like Ghostbusters) each person has clear trauma that they are trying to overcome, from losing a loved one, to living with cancer. It is so refreshing seeing these issues presented with subtlety and perfectly blending with the themes of self destruction and changing.
Although while the film is incredibly dynamic in its themes, it is not a perfect representation of scientific logic. Many times did I think of more practical ways that the expedition team could of handled the problem at hand. However this is going into the nip pickings that click-bate sites are so fond of. Its clear that the film is not for the factual, but for the unexplainable. Also while the film has some amazing moments of suspense, its overall tone can leave some viewers a little overwhelmed. There are so many ideas and concepts in this world but there is no time to really explain them. It focuses primarily on the themes and correlation of imagery rather than a straightforward narrative which can leave a lot of the audience scratching their heads and feeling disappointed. Ultimately Garlands films are intended to leave the viewer with unanswered questions, which ultimately are left to the audience to decipher. This can be enlightening for some, but can also be time wasting for others.
Overall this latest addition to Garlands Science fiction legacy is a welcome addition. Sadly it seems that it doesn't match the big budget Hollywood hopes that the studio were looking for. It does upset me that a film with such beauty and visual brilliance wouldn't get the cinema screening time that it deserved. Nevertheless it has gained a big following since its Netflix release so I hope that Garland doesn't forsake his mind blowing creativity. Either way this film is a must watch for any sci-fi fan and will leave you shocked, confused, unnerved, but above all speechless.Film Grade: B+
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