Release Date: February 13th 2018
Director: Alex Garland
Country of Origin: USA
Language: English
Runtime: 1 hour 55 minutes
Based on the novel of the same name from Jeff VanderMeer’s Southern Reach Trilogy, Annihilation is a seamless blend of science fiction, psychological thriller, and cosmic horror. While its US cinematic release was something of a tragic failure and it looked doomed to become another box-office flop, it has enjoyed a well-deserved revival on Netflix and represents one of the best horror offerings on the live-streaming service to date.
The plot revolves around a woman known only as Lena (Natalie Portman), whose husband Kane (Oscar Isaac) disappears under mysterious circumstances after he leaves on a military expedition. It is only when he returns without warning one year later that the cracks begin to appear, as his physical health deteriorates rapidly and he is forcibly kidnapped from an ambulance on his way to the hospital, along with Lena. After a struggle, Lena is sedated and wakes up in a US government facility known as Area X, where she encounters the phenomenon known as “the Shimmer.” Alongside a group of other scientists, Lena must venture into the Shimmer in order to discover what has happened to her husband, yet the team are woefully underprepared for the horrors that await them on the other side.
From the outset, Annihilation is a hauntingly beautiful film that employs breathtaking visuals to capture the sense of the unknown that pervades the world on the other side of the Shimmer. These captivating visuals are punctuated by scenes of visceral gore and body horror, with a tonal contrast that is handled masterfully. In terms of cosmic horror, its visuals hit the mark perfectly, as it portrays an inexplicable phenomenon that is both alluring and horrifying in equal measure. These eerie visuals are complemented by the film’s soundtrack, which has an ethereal quality that enhances the unsettling atmosphere of life beyond the Shimmer.
The film itself is a slow-burner and explores a wide variety of themes, from the duality of nature to the devastating effects of cancer. For this reason, it consistently demands your full attention and makes for a thought-provoking watch. This is a film best enjoyed with like-minded friends, as it is ripe for discussion and dissection. In terms of the horror elements, there are a handful of tense moments throughout the film that will have you on the edge of your seats, but where Annihilation truly succeeds is in the overarching sense of unease that it provokes through its sheer alienness.
What I personally found particularly refreshing about Annihilation’s premise is that the science fiction elements feel genuine. Too often, science fiction films of all kinds tend to become mired in their own exposition, where the scientific principles are deliberately convoluted so as to baffle the audience and lend the film a sense of authenticity. Without giving any spoilers away, the nature of the Shimmer and how it transforms the world feels believable and rooted in genuine scientific research, without becoming overwhelmed by unnecessarily complex or unrealistic exposition. Throughout the latter half of the film, the phenomenon is primarily exposed through visual storytelling, which allows the audience to unpack the mystery for themselves and leaves the situation rather ambiguous.
The only major drawback of the film is in the somewhat lacklustre acting. While Natalie Portman, Oscar Isaac, and Jennifer Jason Leigh have proven to be talented actors in the past, their performances fall relatively flat and are largely outshined by lesser-known members of the cast, particularly Tuva Novotny (Cassie Shepherd), Gina Rodriguez (Anya Thorensen), and Tessa Thompson (Josie Radek). This may in part be due to the fact that the film is played very straight and is devoid of comic relief, which can make the interactions between the characters occasionally feel too weighted and subsequently unengaging. On their own, each character is developed naturally and has fortunately not become prey to stereotyping, but as a whole they all feel relatively distanced from one another and several of their interactions suffer from an absence of any genuine connection.
With those criticisms aside, I would be remiss not to recommend Annihilation to lovers of horror and sci-fi alike. To date, I have yet to see another film that is quite so visually impressive and that explores the underlying themes of cosmic horror so effectively. I would urge all would-be viewers to avoid watching the trailers, as they give far too much of the plot away, and instead go in blind. I guarantee that you will not be disappointed.
Acting: 6/10, while this is by no means an acting masterclass, the characters are convincingly portrayed and the performances are somewhat engaging.
Storyline: 9/10, one of the most innovative and fascinating sci-fi horrors out there.
Fear Factor: 8/10, visceral horror is complemented by an underlying sense of cosmic dread that is sure to crawl under your skin.
Overall: 8/10, this film is a must-watch for lovers of sci-fi horror and deserves to rank among the best in the genre.
Want to support us so that we can continue creating great horror content? Then sign up to our Patreon.
In The Dark Air 