Annihilation (2018)
TRAILER
FEATURETTE INTERVIEW
A biologist signs up for a dangerous, secret expedition where the laws of nature don't apply.
Director:
Alex GarlandStars:
Language:
EnglishRelease Date:
23 February 2018 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
Aniquilación See more »Box Office
Budget:
$40,000,000 (estimated)Company Credits
Production Co:
What looks like a meteor hits a lighthouse in the opening shots of
“Annihilation.” Flash forward, we presume, to a woman being interrogated
by a man in a hazmat suit. People watch the interrogation through glass
and wear protective masks even though they’re not in the same room with
her. Who is this woman? Why is everyone treating her like a biohazard?
Flash back, again we presume, to a time before Lena (Natalie Portman)
was possibly radioactive. A successful biologist, Lena seems just about
ready to get over the grief of her missing husband—who has been gone on
a covert mission for a year and presumed KIA—when he walks up the
stairs and into her bedroom. Kane (Oscar Isaac)
may be home, but there’s a sense immediately that something is wrong.
In a quick flashback, Garland shows us a playful, smiling Kane, so we
the viewers can sense along with Lena that something is not right with
the dead-eyed man in front of her. Garland is brilliant in the way he
parcels out information with a quick scene, line, flashback, etc.—giving
us just what we need to process and analyze the action in front of us
while also staying one step ahead of us, making us eager to catch up.
Then Kane starts spitting up blood.
Before long, Lena is
brought to a place called the Southern Reach, a research facility a few
miles from that lighthouse in the opening shot. On the horizon, near a
tree line, she sees what can best be described as a rainbow wall. Dr.
Ventress (Jennifer Jason Leigh)
informs her that it’s called ‘The Shimmer,’ and that they have been
investigating it for three years now. Past The Shimmer, no radio signals
have returned, and no manned missions have produced a survivor … until
her husband. The assumption is that something in there kills people or
people go crazy and kill each other. Lena, Dr. Ventress, and three
others—tough-talking Anya (Gina Rodriguez), shy Josie (Tessa Thompson), and sweet Cass (Tuva Novotny)—will venture into The Shimmer, get to the lighthouse, and return. Maybe.
If
you’re wondering how much has been spoiled at this point in the review,
the answer is almost nothing. “Annihilation” really becomes itself once
the team crosses that threshold into the woods, a fascinating setting
for a sci-fi flick that reveals itself slowly. This is not an alien
planet, and yet there’s a sense of danger and some sort of biological
aberration within these woods. Garland reveals just enough at every turn
to keep us confused but also in the moment with Lena and the crew. It’s
a film that balances disorientation with the grounded performances of
its cast, who keep us engaged in each interaction, believing the danger
as it unfolds. “Annihilation” could have easily become campy or silly.
If I described some of its scarier scenes, you might laugh, but Garland
finds a way to make the insanity work, and watching that balancing act
can be invigorating.
“Annihilation” is an exercise in maintaining tone and keeping the
action of the piece relatable enough so that it doesn’t spin off into
something easily dismissible. Cinematographer Rob Hardy, who also shot “Ex Machina,”
works with Garland to use the natural world as effectively as the pair
used those sleek lines and reflections of the lab in their previous
film. And the sound design, especially in the climax, is spectacular,
keeping us disoriented and frightened with atonal noises that almost
sound like they’re turning in on themselves. Most of all, the artistic
success of “Annihilation” comes down to the way Garland metes out
information visually. He’ll often show us one thing and then subvert it
with the next image, which is an ambitious but perfect way to tell a
story about duality and corruption. There’s also a centerpiece scene
involving an attack at night that’s straight-up one of the most
terrifying things I’ve ever seen in terms of design and direction. It
reminded me of the first time it's clear that everyone is probably going
to die in John Carpenter's “The Thing.”
There are times when
the structure of “Annihilation” frustrated me just a little bit
(although I’m eager to see it again to see if that complaint fades
away)—flashbacks within flashbacks often do that—and I’m not sure
Garland’s final act works as well as it could have. There’s an inherent
problem with mission films like “Annihilation” in that the journey is
almost always more engaging and interesting than the
destination. Questions make for better art than answers. However,
Garland leaves enough open for discussion that he saves it artistically.
And he produces some of his most striking visuals in those closing
scenes.
“Annihilation” is not an easy film to discuss. It’s a
movie that will have a different meaning to different viewers who are
willing to engage with it. It’s about self-destruction, evolution,
biology, co-dependence, and that which scares us the most—that we can no
longer trust our own bodies. It's meant to linger in your mind and
haunt your dreams. In this recent wave of sci-fi films, it's one of the
best.
Thanks for reading and have fun watching movies.
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