ANNIHILATION REVIEW

*MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS*

Science fiction can mean different things to different people. There are those who associate the genre with space adventures as seen in the Star Wars and Star Trek franchises that feature a lot of special effects and action. Science fiction can also mean films that focus on though-provoking ideas and tell compelling stories. Alex Garland previously directed the 2014 feature, Ex Machina, which was described as sci-fi but focused more on the idea of artificial intelligence. It received critical acclaim with many praising Alicia Vikander's performance as the A.I., Eva. Now, Garland has returned with his latest feature, Annihilation. Based on Jeff VanderMeer's book of the same name, Annihilation features a lot of interesting ideas and a leading performance from Natalie Portman and also starring Oscar Isaac, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Tessa Thompson, Gina Rodriguez and Tuva Novotny. 

Lena's (Portman) husband, Kane (Isaac), disappeared a year ago. However, she is shocked to discover him at home, however, he's not the same. He can barely speak and becomes very ill, leading them both being sent to a facility. This is where she meets psychologist, Dr. Ventress, who explains that her husband was part of a team that went into explore The Shimmer, a mysterious zone where the laws of nature don’t apply. Lena puts her name forward for an expedition into The Shimmer to try and find out what happened to her husband. Joining her are Ventress,  a paramedic named Anya Thorensen (Rodriguez), a physicist named Josie Radek (Thompson) and Case Sheppard (Novotny) who is a surveyor and geologist.

Despite having a wide cinema release in the United States and Canada, Annihilation was released on the streaming site, Netflix, earlier this month. It's hard to understand why this decision was made as Annihilation is one of those films that would look a lot better on the big screen, due to its stunning visuals and impressive special effects. Back in December last year, it was announced that due to the clashes between Scott Rudin, the producer, and David Ellison, a financier at Paramount, and the shift in Paramount's leadership, a deal was struck with Netflix handling international distribution. According to this deal, Paramount will handle the US and China release, while Netflix will begin streaming the film in other territories 17 days later. Garland revealed he was disappointed by this decision stating that Annihilation was 'made for cinema'. He doesn't see anything wrong with Netflix necessarily and says that one of the big pluses is that it goes out to a lot of people and there's no need to be worried about making money at the box office during its opening weekend. To those who get an opportunity to see Annihilation on the big screen should take it as I can imagine it's a rewarding experience. I enjoyed watching it at home but it's hard to say whether I would've enjoyed watching it at my local cinema.

While Annihilation is a science-fiction feature, it can also be described as an adventure, drama, mystery and thriller all wrapped into one. Having all these genres can mean problems with the tone of the film, however, Garland successfully blends them together and Annihilation never loses its dark, bleak and mysterious tone. Annihilation succeeds mainly because it focuses on ideas and telling a captivating story. Just like Portman's character, Lena, we are as curious and interested in The Shimmer as she is. As the story progresses, we learn more and more about the goings on in this mysterious land. It's only towards the end of the film that we realise what's going on and the explanation for Kane's unusual behaviour. I think that's what I liked most about Annihilation was that it told a smart and though-provoking story without losing my focus. It is hard to say whether it will appeal to everyone. Those hoping for plenty of action are better off looking elsewhere as it's not that kind of film and those who aren't comfortable with violence should avoid watching this. There isn't much violence, however, there are a few intense scenes that involve characters being killed in gory ways. 

As Lena, Portman gives a strong leading performance. We follow her story and we respect her decision to journey into The Shimmer as she wants to find out what happened to her husband. Annihilation cuts to scenes of her in a room where she is being interviewed by a man in a contamination suit, Lomax (Benedict Wong), who is a scientist. This takes place after Lena has returned from The Shimmer and, because of this, we think that she is the only one that survives the expedition. However, it isn't until the ending that we realise that something isn't quite right with Lena. It's an impressive performance from Portman and one that further proves she's capable of handling roles outside of franchises such as Star Wars or Thor. Jason Leigh gives a solid portrayal of the psychologist who leads the expedition and makes most of the decisions. Thompson recently made an appearance in Thor: Ragnarok, ironically replacing Portman as Thor's potential love interest. As Radek, Thompson gives an understated supporting performance. Many may know Rodriguez from the sitcom, Jane The Virgin, where she played the titular character. However, as Thorensen, she proves she's capable of handling dramatic roles which is proven in one intense sequence where she accusses Lena of killing one of the team members. Isaac reunites with Garland after they previously collaborated on Ex Machina and, despite his scenes being limited, he gives a very good performance. During filming for Annihilation, Isaac was also filming Star Wars: The Last Jedi which was on an adjacent studio set and had the same trailer for both films and would often record scenes for both films on the same day.

When I heard that Annihilation was being released straight to Netflix, I wasn't that interested in seeing it, however, after seeing all the positive reviews that it's received, I knew I had to watch it. Fortunately, Annihilation didn't disappoint. It backs up its impressive visuals and genre thrills with an ambitious and strange exploration of challenging and though-provoking themes that will certainly have viewers pondering about long after the film has finished.

8/10