Movie Review: Annihilation (2018)

[Dave Gray]

Annihilation (2018)

Premise: When a dazed soldier returns home after being missing for a year, his wife traces his path through a mysterious extraterrestrial bubble.

Review: A great sci-fi-thriller concept with a heady, dreamlike conclusion that will turn off audiences, but stand the test of time.

It's hard not to immediately relate this movie to other sci-fi films, like Arrival or 2001: A Space Odyssey.  It has a slow, plodding pacing like Arrival, but unlike that film, it doesn't seem as concerned with a realistic depiction of a military response to a phenomenon.  The exploration mission in Annihilation doesn't make sense on the surface and I was battling myself to try to make sense of the actions of the team, but you have to let go, because the movie isn't about that.  Annihilation works as a metaphor for depression, loss, and self-destruction and much of it happens in a daze, with the characters unreliable, confused, and with intentionally clouded motivations.  When you break it down on a real-world level, however, and try to interpret it literally, it's harder to connect with.

Like 2001: A Space Odyssey, what starts as a pretty straight-forward science fiction story has a finale that makes you wonder what you just saw.  It flirts with the spiritual, doesn't clearly define its ending, and leaves you searching for meaning in what's on the surface, just really weird.  Unlike 2001, though, I found that I was able to start making some connections pretty quickly and the film doesn't seem weird for the sake of weird.  There are enough breadcrumbs in dialogue that help lead you to ideas that spark thought and conversation.

It's notable that the cast is pretty much all women, many of whom are playing outside of type.  It is not super in your face about it, but it gives the movie a much less macho feel than you might expect from a team of soldiers and scientists going into a sci-fi horror backdrop.

I will say that like Blade Runner 2049 last year, this film brings a lot to the table that I've never seen before.  There are several cases of fascinating or even disturbing imagery and concepts that are introduced, explored, and then passed by.  It's surprising how many completely new ideas are introduced.

This is a very good movie that will stick to you after it's over and leave you trying to interpret its message, but is not a movie that is going to be a crowd-pleaser or one that you can freely recommend to general audiences.  Your mileage may vary, depending on your tastes.