Jeff VanderMeer’s award-winning novel, Annihilation, has earned widespread praise since its release in 2014. When it was announced that writer/director Alex Garland of Ex Machina would be tackling the film adaptation, it seemed like a match made in heaven. The good news is that the movie fully delivers, as if Garland was born to bring this source material to the silver screen.
Here are just five reasons why Annihilation is a must-see:
5. The Gripping Premise
The setup alone builds a foreboding sense of mystery that hooks the audience in from the very beginning. Natalie Portman stars as Lena, an academic with a military background who believes her husband, a solider played by Oscar Isaac, died in combat. Lena is relieved when her husband suddenly returns home, but quickly realizes that he’s not the same. As his mysterious symptoms continue to surface, Lena learns that he was sent into an environmental disaster zone and emerged as a sole survivor. To unravel what exactly happened to her dying husband, Lena ventures into the unknown with a ragtag group of trained professionals.
4. The Exceptional Cast
The romance between Portman and Isaac gives Annihilation a beating heart, but the supporting cast supplies the film’s backbone. It’s especially encouraging to see an action thriller where the main characters are all three-dimensional, complex women. Jennifer Jason Leigh is perfectly tailored to play the no-nonsense Dr. Ventress, who leads Lena and the others on this apparent suicide mission. Gina Rodriguez of Jane the Virgin emerges as an unlikely badass as Anya. We get equally strong work from Tessa Thompson of Thor: Ragnarok as Josie and Swedish actress Tuva Novotny as Cass. They all round out an involving cast of characters we want to see survive this ordeal, although it’s clear from the get-go that won’t likely be the case.
3. The Haunting Environment
Perhaps the most fascinating character in the film is the disaster zone itself. Garland crafts an environment that feels so real while also feeling otherworldly, much like the Island from Lost. Part of what makes this land so haunting is that it’s not especially grim or menacing on the surface. If anything, it’s actually quite picturesque and inviting at times. The further our heroes dig, it become clearer and clearer that something threatening lurks behind the emerald curtain. By then, however, this alluring place has a sunk its teeth into them and won’t let go without a fight.
2. It Flawlessly Blends Different Genres
Going into Annihilation, audiences might assume that they’re going to get a straight-forward monster picture. There are certainly moments that call Jaws to mind, building suspense by keeping the zone’s inhabitants hidden for a good portion of the run time. Annihilation is just as much a psychological thriller, though, as our heroes begin to lose their perception of time and grip on reality. The environment gets into their heads and under their skin. Speaking of which, the film also works in elements of body horror that aren’t for the squeamish.
1. It Earns Comparison to the All-Time Greats
Where the opening scenes feel like something out of a sci-fi action picture like Aliens or Predator, Annihilation slowly evolves into a more thought-provoking film like Blade Runner, 2001: A Space Odyssey, or Requiem for a Dream. It’s even reminiscent of the game BioShock and not just because a lighthouse plays a key role in the narrative. While there are numerous other movies that you can compare Annihilation to, it still manages to remain an utterly unique experience with Garland’s distinctive signature. It’s a film that’ll stick with you long after leaving the theater, which is the ultimate sign of being a modern sci-fi classic.
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