Written by: Kevin Berge
Natalie Portman hasn't had the most success with science fiction, but this time at least she's got a love interest around her age. (Image Courtesy of: peroblanco.net)
Quick Take: Annihilation is an intensely cerebral science fiction experience that is beautifully shot and densely packed with meaning. Elements of its humanity are left at the door, but it has a transfixing complexity that is worth exploring for many watches to come.
***This is a review presenting the overall themes and ideas of Annihilation. While there will not be any direct spoilers, it will allude to some elements of the film that could influence a first-time viewer. If you have seen the film yet, read ahead at your own risk.***
I love science fiction in all forms, but it's rare to find good cerebral sci-fi. While a powerful mainstay in novels and short stories, film often leans more toward fantastical science fiction. It's large and bombastic with action and adventure the driving force of the story.
A few filmmakers though have recently been opening up the vault of cerebral sci-fi with movies like Denis Villenueve's Arrival, Rian Johnson's Looper, Alfonso Cuarón's Children of Men, and Alex Garland's Ex Machina. Garland again has escaped into that world with Annihilation.
While Ex Machina was a strong short allegory on identity and truth, Annihilation is a far more expansive think piece, never once revealing even a morsel of its ideas easily. I will admit right now that it is a movie I don't understand yet. It may take me many more viewing to create an interpretation, but I am happy to take that time.
The story follows Lena (Natalie Portman), cellular biology teacher and former soldier, as she is taken to the mysterious Area X due to an illness her Special Forces husband Kane (Oscar Isaac) has been taken by. She must enter The Shimmer with a research expedition to find the truth.
Vaguely introducing the film like this may not give the best first impression, but it's what is inside the concept that matters. This is quite nearly Garland's masterpiece, an obtuse and intense piece of cinema exploring identity, self-destruction, our relationship with nature, and individual drive.
The problem with the film is simply its structural elements can occasionally feel too distant. This is a gorgeously shot film with cinematographer Rob Hardy really showcasing the film's impressive art design, but it can feel a bit empty with characters that are never fully realized.
That can come with the territory in cerebral sci-fi as the focus is so thematic, but the problem is that the human elements of this film just don't feel wholly human. All the characters have drives that are important but underdeveloped.
I love science fiction in all forms, but it's rare to find good cerebral sci-fi. While a powerful mainstay in novels and short stories, film often leans more toward fantastical science fiction. It's large and bombastic with action and adventure the driving force of the story.
A few filmmakers though have recently been opening up the vault of cerebral sci-fi with movies like Denis Villenueve's Arrival, Rian Johnson's Looper, Alfonso Cuarón's Children of Men, and Alex Garland's Ex Machina. Garland again has escaped into that world with Annihilation.
While Ex Machina was a strong short allegory on identity and truth, Annihilation is a far more expansive think piece, never once revealing even a morsel of its ideas easily. I will admit right now that it is a movie I don't understand yet. It may take me many more viewing to create an interpretation, but I am happy to take that time.
The story follows Lena (Natalie Portman), cellular biology teacher and former soldier, as she is taken to the mysterious Area X due to an illness her Special Forces husband Kane (Oscar Isaac) has been taken by. She must enter The Shimmer with a research expedition to find the truth.
Vaguely introducing the film like this may not give the best first impression, but it's what is inside the concept that matters. This is quite nearly Garland's masterpiece, an obtuse and intense piece of cinema exploring identity, self-destruction, our relationship with nature, and individual drive.
The problem with the film is simply its structural elements can occasionally feel too distant. This is a gorgeously shot film with cinematographer Rob Hardy really showcasing the film's impressive art design, but it can feel a bit empty with characters that are never fully realized.
That can come with the territory in cerebral sci-fi as the focus is so thematic, but the problem is that the human elements of this film just don't feel wholly human. All the characters have drives that are important but underdeveloped.
Typical Americans. See something you don't understand, better get my gun. (Image Courtesy of: engadget.com)
Luckily, the film has enough to say to far outshine that issue. While I cannot say anything of the book it is based on by Jeff VanderMeer, the concepts here feel like they'd spark off a page. Garland brings beautiful form to the words particularly in some surprising choreography.
The focus of Annihilation is the threat of a mysterious force. The Shimmer is analogous to an alien spaceship landing on the planet or, in more relatable terms, a large bacterial infection sprouting in one area of the world. The story questions what we would do in the face of such an unknown threat.
This is a tale that does not shy away from direct imagery but completely avoids exposition. These Americans walk into The Shimmer with guns at the ready and complete certainty of their intention, and they are quickly forced to face their individual motivations.
We live in a time where it is easy to relate to this focus. How do we face change and the unknown? Usually it is with hostility. Annihilation uses this as a jumping-off point with the idea that this threat can be worth that hostility but also worth a more subtle approach.
Without getting into the details, it can be tough to fully immerse in the ideas of this film. It is highly complex with a third act that is utterly confounding, bringing just a few answers and a sea of further questions. I wish I could say exactly what I saw and how I enjoyed it, but it is difficult to process.
Ultimately, Annihilation is a beautiful film to look at with deep ideas, but it is hard to say if they all land as intended without heavy analysis. It may take years for me to decide just how good the film really is, but I was happy with my experience even though it lacks some human elements and has some flat acting from a strong cast.
These are the type of films I will always get excited for even if they can be distant and obscure. The real strength of this film is its message or rather its complexity of message. I expect many will find different ways to interpret what they saw, and that's when cinema is at its best.
The focus of Annihilation is the threat of a mysterious force. The Shimmer is analogous to an alien spaceship landing on the planet or, in more relatable terms, a large bacterial infection sprouting in one area of the world. The story questions what we would do in the face of such an unknown threat.
This is a tale that does not shy away from direct imagery but completely avoids exposition. These Americans walk into The Shimmer with guns at the ready and complete certainty of their intention, and they are quickly forced to face their individual motivations.
We live in a time where it is easy to relate to this focus. How do we face change and the unknown? Usually it is with hostility. Annihilation uses this as a jumping-off point with the idea that this threat can be worth that hostility but also worth a more subtle approach.
Without getting into the details, it can be tough to fully immerse in the ideas of this film. It is highly complex with a third act that is utterly confounding, bringing just a few answers and a sea of further questions. I wish I could say exactly what I saw and how I enjoyed it, but it is difficult to process.
Ultimately, Annihilation is a beautiful film to look at with deep ideas, but it is hard to say if they all land as intended without heavy analysis. It may take years for me to decide just how good the film really is, but I was happy with my experience even though it lacks some human elements and has some flat acting from a strong cast.
These are the type of films I will always get excited for even if they can be distant and obscure. The real strength of this film is its message or rather its complexity of message. I expect many will find different ways to interpret what they saw, and that's when cinema is at its best.
