Tonight I'm reviewing the 2018 thriller/fantasy film, Annihilation, directed by Alex Garland (Dredd, Ex-Machina) and stars Natalie Portman, Oscar Isaac, and Jennifer Jason Leigh. The story follows a group of military scientists who enter "The Shimmer ", a mysterious quarantine zone of mutating landscapes and transforming creatures. I have to say, I'm absolutely speechless on what I just watched! This film is amazing! Let me start off by saying all of the performances were outstanding. Natalie Portman gives one of her all-time best performances in this film, same with Jennifer Jason Leigh. The cinematography in this film is breathtaking! Without a doubt, hands down, the best visually stunning film I've seen all year. I'm talking Blade Runner 2049-type of visually stunning for those who haven't seen this film yet. I loved all of the colorful effects of the landscape and the Shimmer itself. This film is extremely brutal with some very gruesome parts and it's disturbing as hell, especially one particular scene that will probably haunt me forever; for those who have seen this film will probably know what I'm talking about. I was really invested into the story from start to finish and it's very well written. I do recommend for anyone who hasn't seen this film yet to pay very close attention. Its one of those films that bases a lot of its story on symbolism. So it's probably going to take some people watch upon multiple viewings to understand this story progression. I had to go back a few times to understand some things. Once you understand what you're watching completely, then you'll understand the beauty on the writing. I love the ambiguous ending that leaves you thinking.. The score in this film fits perfect with each scene and love that scores with synthesized music are being used often in films. Its hard to go into any detail what I watched because everything is pretty much spoiler territory. This film is filled with crazy twists. I don't really have any complaints. If you've haven't seen it, please do ! I definitely highly recommend it.
Final Score:
For those who've seen this film, what were your thoughts? Leave me a comment below and I'll see you on the next review. Also, feel free to check out Justin's review of it on YouTube at your convenience: https://youtu.be/4bMpysZvLBk.