Annihilation

So I've been mulling over Annhilation for a couple hours and I think I've come to the conclusion that I wish that this was the second time I had seen the film and I had went to go see this in theaters last February.

Annihilation is a film directed by Alex Garland. Garland directed Ex Machina and has become a pretty big name when it comes to science fiction movies because of it. I had forgotten this until I watched the movie and I'm glad because I wouldn't want to compare this movie to Ex Machina. Firstly, because it's really hard to compare anything to Ex Machina, that movie was amazing, but more importantly, this movie is very, VERY different than Ex Machina. They're both very cerebral and boundaries breaking science fiction films, but they cover very different subject matter and I think that's contributing to me becoming a really big fan of Alex Garland.

Annihilation centers on the character of Lena (played by Natalie Portman), a former Soldier, now biologist. One day, Lena's husband Kane (played by Oscar Isaacs), a Soldier who was believed to be killed in action, returns home but is very sick.

Lena is taken to a special facility and told that Kane was the only survivor of a team that went into an area they called "The Shimmer". It's kind of hard to explain this area, partly because I don't want to spoil the film, but also because it's just hard to explain by the nature of the movie. Essentially, it's this gorgeous visual effect that covers a large area that seems to just be an anomaly and unexplainable by science.

Lena decides to join a team of female scientists to go into The Shimmer, figure out what's causing it, get more information on it, and figure out the mystery behind Kane's illness.

So the number one thing you will hear about this movie is that it is visually stunning. That is true. Garland was able to do a lot of unique and gorgeous things with the visuals in this movie and it really, REALLY makes me bummed that I didn't see this movie in theaters. My recommendation is to watch this movie on the biggest clearest screen you can because the visuals are something to behold. I think with Garland's unique look on science fiction, it makes the movie very pleasing to look at. Regardless of whether or not you like the movie or not, I think we can all agree that this movie is freaking gorgeous.

But the contentious parts of the film is definitely in its story and its characters. For me, I think the level of enjoyment depends on your level of expectations when it comes to what you think this movie is. If you think it's going to be as cerebral and thought provoking as Ex Machina, I can't say that's one hundred percent true. But on the other hand, this is not an action heavy science fiction thriller, it does drag a little.

Like I said, I've had some time to mull this movie over and I think it is more thought provoking than I originally thought. I don't think it's as hard hitting as Ex Machina, but it's a little more cerebral and it leaves a lot of questions unanswered. By way of the bigger picture and themes of the movie, I think that's a good thing.

But by way of story structure and character development, this movie has a little bit to be desired, in certain areas.

The truth is, again, I wish this was the second time I was watching the film or I had bought it to watch it again. I get the feeling I'm going to get more out of the film if I watch it a second time because it has a little bit of a delayed effect, at least on me. Very, VERY interesting concept, good execution, just not as good as I think most audiences will need for a single viewing.

The other issue is the cast.

Now to be clear, the cast is great. I love a lot of these actors and actresses and I don't think anybody turns in a bad performance. It all just depends on where the focus of the movie is.

The themes and main story is centered on Natalie Portman's character. So her and Oscar Isaac, on top of giving a good performance, are just written better and therefore are great characters.

I just think the movie doesn't flesh out the character or arcs of the others for me to really care as much as I wish I did. I love Tessa Thompson, I think her, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Gina Rodriguez give good performances. But their characters are really paper thin and any arc that is given to them is never really followed through with. Ultimately they add to the struggle that Lena is going through and it wouldn't be a huge deal if the movie didn't suggest that their arcs were importance or thought provoking as well.

But while I tend to think of things like that, it didn't take away from the fact that I really enjoyed this movie. It felt like a very unique movie. It made me think, there were science fiction elements of it that I really enjoyed. There was a little bit of horror to it as well, though not as much as I think I would have maybe wanted. I just really enjoyed it.

There is a moment or two in the film that feel a little bit self indulgent and maybe drag on a minute or so longer than it should, but overall, I think it is worth checking out. The very fact that I'm actually thinking a lot about this movie and I might end up buying it sometime soon makes me think that this is a movie I'm going to be thinking about for a little while.

I don't think a whole lot of people know that this is based off a book trilogy. I didn't know until I started doing research into the background of the film. I actually just bought the audio book and will hopefully be reading it soon. Maybe I'll do an addition to this review to talk about the book and what else I got out of it, because I do think there is more to this world than this movie delves into. Maybe more to come on that.

But overall, I recommend Annihilation. I don't think it's a perfect movie, but I did like the ideas, the action, the drama, and especially the science fiction elements that just made me think while watching it. Like I said, the visuals are stunning and I would recommend watching it on the biggest HD TV you have, but nonetheless, I think you should check it out.

But those are my thoughts on Annihilation. What did you think? Comment and Discuss below! You can also send me your thoughts on Twitter @MovieSymposium as well as send me your requests for films I should review in the future. If you follow me on Twitter, you can get updates on future movie news and reviews coming out of this blog.

Thanks for reading.