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In the previous review, I covered Ex Machina to prepare for Annihilation, the new film from its director, Alex Garland. Now it's time for me to review it.
The story follows Lena, a biologist and former soldier whose husband Kane (a soldier himself) suddenly reappears from inside The Shimmer, a zone where everything changes and those who go in usually never come out. Since Kane managed to make it back, Lena joins a team of fellow scientists to find the source of The Shimmer (a lighthouse) and what happened to the previous team searching for it.
Before I get into my thoughts on this one, I must address something. This is a very polarizing movie, so in regards to what worked or didn't work for me, you may not share the same sentiments.
With that having been said, on with the review. I realize it's been a month since it came out, but for those who still haven't seen it and are interested in doing so: other than what was in the trailer, there will be no spoilers, or at least no major ones.
What Worked: One of the biggest subjects of debate is something I usually start with: the performances. I actually enjoyed them. Natalie Portman's portrayal of Lena I found believable; a woman trying to find out what happened to her husband is something that I can see an actress like her playing. You can see her determination. She ends up being the most interesting character in the movie, but considering she's the main one, that probably doesn't say much.
Then there's the rest of the team, consisting of Jennifer Jason Leigh as Dr. Ventress (the psychologist who leads them), Gina Rodriguez as Anya Thorensen (the medic), Tessa Thompson as Josie Radek (the physicist), and Tuva Novotny as Cass Sheppard (the anthropologist). Their performances were also really good, but their characters I'll get to later.
In the review for Ex Machina, I mentioned how Oscar Isaac was in this movie as well. Although he's not in it that much, he is good for the time he's in it. Kane ends up being the second most interesting character because in a way you do actually see the events from his perspective. If I go any further into it, it'd be a huge spoiler.
Another supporting character I liked was Benedict Wong (Wong from Doctor Strange) as Lomax, the scientist in the hazmat suit who's questioning Lena that you see in the trailer. Those scenes looked similar to The Signal (a sci-fi movie I really enjoyed), even from the trailers for both movies.
Speaking of looks, the biggest positives for me were the same ones I had with Ex Machina: the technical aspects. The one thing I'm sure everyone will agree on for this movie is that it looks great. The visuals are excellent, particularly the appearance of The Shimmer, the creatures, and basically the entirety of the third act. The creatures are in some of the most intense parts of the movie. There's a scene with a gator that's even creepier in the movie, but it's not the most unsettling one for me. That would be a scene with a bear that does something similar to the Predator.
I also really liked a portion of the score, which, oddly enough, is the same music you hear in the trailer, so I was surprised that carried over into the movie.
What Didn't Work: Although I did enjoy the performances of the supporting cast, I felt their characters could have been written better. They are supposed to be smart, and yet a common cliché returns in this movie that appeared in the first few movies I reviewed. They make stupid decisions. You also don't really have a chance to get to know them, aside from perhaps Ventress, and that's in the second half of the movie.
The problem I had with most of the score is that it felt inconsistent. At least to me, it sounded like it belonged in a different movie, and then when it got to the song from the trailer, it sounded more like something that belonged here.
The main issue for me was the transitions. Ex Machina did have them, but it was more concise there because of the story structure. Here, it goes back and forth between settings when you least expect it, and not only is it jarring at times, but it also affects the pacing, which is another subject of debate. I found it slow on occasion, though the visuals alone held my attention.
There is also a subplot where I get the purpose behind it, but it just felt out of place.
Overall: Annihilation is one of those movies that's not for everyone. As stated prior to my positives, this is very polarizing: people either love or hate this movie. It's also one of those movies where seeing it once may not be enough. It does encourage you to think, especially with the ending, which will stick with you regardless of where you stand on the movie as a whole.
I'm more on the side of those who love it, because I really enjoyed it. However, I can't quite say I loved it outright like I did with Ex Machina. With that movie, you could see the passion Alex Garland had in being able to make it. Here, the ambition is present, but not everything works. With this being his second movie as a director, it may have been too early to take the leap into the territory of bigger budget and scale.
Ex Machina is a stronger movie, but that's not to say Annihilation doesn't have its own share of good qualities. The visuals look fantastic, and there are some tense moments. If nothing else, see it for those, but go into it knowing it's not for everyone.