Review of Annihilation (2018) by Emmett K — 27 Mar 2018

The second directorial offering from Alex Garland, who previously brought us the excellent Ex Machina, Annihilation doesn't match the quality or intrigue of what came before, but most of it is still a solid and very well put together movie.

It's not as thought-provoking as it wants to be, and the climax is pure ridiculous Sci-fi, a classic example of a film nearly squandering a great build with a silly ending that feels entirely out of place and random.

But the build is more than worth the watch. The steady camera movements and the stunning cinematography create an atmosphere of wonder and foreboding, and the CGI doesn't ever distract from the storyline.

I love Natalie Portman as an actress, and while this might not be her best work, she still gives it her all and I was completely invested in her character. The rest of the cast are great too, at least for the limited time they're onscreen.

It's framing device of a post-incident interview is completely unnecessary and only serves to spoil what's going to happen. Not to mention none of the dialogue in these scenes explains anything we couldn't have worked out for ourselves, or haven't already seen take place.

But a few missteps aside, Annihilation is further evidence of a great talent that should kept an eye on in the years to come, and is a fun experience while it lasts.