Review of Annihilation (2018) by John F — 21 Mar 2018

Absolutely incredible. The entire film itself was a reflection of the theme on mutation: it subtly mutated from drama to sci-fi to horror and back again, unnerving the viewer with each unexpected shift; it disturbs for the same reason the creatures and order within the Shimmer disturbs: it defies and refuses to follow the natural laws of what typically trust to expect. I understand why someone who wants to see a tidy sci-fi action movie would leave thinking this is a muddled mess, but it was so much more. As a biologist, this movie was incredible to watch, and spoke to so many of my constant thoughts on the tension between our brain's need to construct a sense of permanence as we move around this world (our personal narratives, the physical presence of our bodies, our inability to truly comprehend death) and the fact of the matter that the natural world and our inherent biology is simply a constant assault on any sort of stasis. Physically, we are different people at the end of each day with cell death and cell growth. Mentally, we are different people each year with the burden of new experiences. This movie took that tension and amplified it (and sped it up) to an incredible degree, using this to showcase how life is ultimately death is ultimately life, and that any sense of boundaries or borders that we may imagine as bodies with skin to close us off from the world is nothing but a lark: we are permeable bags of organic matter, and every minute that passes leaves us changed. Whew, this movie. There are a hundred other themes to speak on, including our inherent bent toward self destruction - the ego's way of coping with the incomprehensible fact of our ultimate demise - getting in one's own way, the weight of new experiences, the profound indifference of nature (watching this film took me back to my first read of Steven Crane's "The Open Boat"), mutations, etc.

TL;DR: If you're looking for a tidy sci-fi action flick, this isn't it. If you're fascinated by the natural world, and wonder about the tension between our brain's need for a sense of status and the inherent chaos and assault of constant change by the natural world on everything it entails, check this out. Whether you love it or not, it'll make your brain buzz for a little while, at least, and it's a whole lot of fun.