Total Wipeout.

Rating: 4/10 (5 June 2018)

Following on from "The Cloverfield Paradox" and "Mute", "Annihilation" is the third in the trilogy of "Risky Sci-Fi ventures sold to Netflix because the studio wisely thought that they would lose money on a wide cinematic release" and unfortunately, despite some nice ideas "Annihilation" ends with such a disastrously awful third act it makes avoiding the glare of the paying public the right decision.
So, Lena, (Natalie Portman) is mourning her solider husband Kane (Oscar Issac) who has been M.I.A for a year, when he inexplicable shows up just long enough for an evening of being enigmatic, before keeling over with massive internal trauma. As he lies in a military hospital, Lena learns that he's been part of a team sent to investigate inside the Shimmer, an area of swampland that has been enveloped by a shimmering light source that doesn't allow communication out and has so far seemingly claimed the lives of everyone who has entered. Desperate for answers, Lena volunteers for the next expedition.
There are some good aspects to this film. Alex Garland's direction is capable, and there is a visual edge to the film that can be truly breathtaking at times. As the team enter the Shimmer and get closer to the centre, the weirdness of the creatures comes to the fore, and the horrific screaming skull bear is a memorable creation. The cast perform well, and it's nice to see a couple of the actresses perform against type, with Tessa Thompson and Gina Rodriquez having roles that you might have thought would have suited the other actress better. It's Natalie Portman's film though, and we experience the whole story from her point of view. Lena is a layered and flawed character, who's given a lot to do but Portman performs all aspects of it well.
It's a shame then, that the film is entirely undone by an ending that is somehow both inexplicable and obvious, incredulous yet boring. It's up there with "AI: Artificial intelligence" as a generally enjoyable and thought provoking film that's entirely undone by the decisions made for the last half hour. Unfortunately, this must fall at Alex Garland's feet too, as writer director - not the first time a solid film he's worked on has unravelled at the end, I'm thinking "Sunshine". It's another example too of a film where the explanations don't work within the internal logic of the story. I'm writing my review without spoilers, but there are a number of questions that came to me subsequently, even some the characters in the film specifically ask, that the ending doesn't really explain. (Maybe the two further novels that the film was based on may cover those, but they are unlikely to be made now).
Sadly, it's the last impression that sticks with you regarding "Annihilation" and that one is a mess.