Review: Annihilation (Netflix)

“Natalie Portman goes down the rabbit hole in this mostly interesting science fiction thinker. ”

Annihilation is a true science fiction movie, so in other words, a lot of people won’t like it. It sets up a lot of ideas, but doesn’t wrap everything up in a neat little bow at the end. It is a film that was deemed too intellectual for a mainstream release and the studio tried to have the film changed to suit general audiences. However, for a rare time in Hollywood, the director won out and the film remained as it was envisioned. If only this superpower could have been given to Zack Snyder…

The film looks like the characters have stepped into a painting. There is a beautiful artistic augmentation to the landscapes, almost like an augmented reality. The overall theme of the film is self-destruction, although monsters do live here and will eat you.

Natalie Portman leads an all female group of scientists (scientists who all handle guns very well) into the Shimmer, a strange energy field that has engulfed a section of land and is growing larger. All the teams that have been sent in before them have vanished.

Inside the Shimmer, we encounter a number of interesting creatures and distortions in nature. However, the film is more interested in the psychological journey of our characters than getting too bogged down by the world they inhabit.

In part, this film feels like it could have been cut from the cloth as Alien Covenant, but with less gore and flute playing, as well as being free to go in its own direction, and not bogged down with being part of a popular film franchise. It also feels like a more visual or art based version of Arrival.

However, what the film doesn’t quite pull off (despite the visuals), is a feeling of scale and depth. The sense of awe around this newly developing world of strangeness doesn’t sustain enough interest (despite some and the film plods along a bit in the middle. Whilst it’s nice to have a film that is happy to explore the guilt of Portman’s extramarital affair and how it drove her to enter the Shimmer in the first place, rather than just having scenes of her running away from a monster, it would also be nice if there was a little more to take in within this world. We never feel like we’re really in the Shimmer. It’s more like we’re looking at it from a great distance through binoculars.

Portman is good in the lead role, but very much as you’d expect her to be. Jennifer Jason Leigh has some good moments too, but her character arc feels somewhat lost as her character just disappears for a while and then feels kind of tacked on at the end.

Another film featuring a strong focus on female characters. 2018 is certainly the cinematic year of women. The film is good, but not quite the great film I was hoping for. Maybe a cinematic experience would have helped. Definitely worth watching, but be sure your in the mood for the type of film you’re about to see.

The five bearded questions:

1. Was it worth a cinema trip? It would have been (but it wasn’t released theatrically in Australia) 2. Would I See It Again at the Cinema? N/A 3. Would I buy it on Blu-ray: (only films I really love get bought these days) No 4. Do I Recommend people see it? Yes, but only if you like real science fiction.

5. Any cheese/ Disney style bullshit?: (such as jokes wedged in at serious moments, because fun!). No.