If Andrei Tarkovsky Could Roll Over in His Grave

Rating: 5/10 (2 April 2018)

Biologist Lena (Natalie Portman) mourns the disappearance of her husband Kane (Oscar Isaac). Suddenly, Kane reappears inside her house. Surprised, she demands answers. Confused, he rambles vague answers until blood pours into a glass of water that he's drinking. On the way to the hospital, government agents capture and detain them at a compound called the Southern Reach. At the compound, Doctor Ventress (Jennifer Jason Leigh) explains to Lena that Kanes' organs are failing from entering the Shimmer, a mysterious zone that will engulf the United States within several months. In the hopes of healing her husband, she enters the Shimmer with four strong, intelligent women.
I'd recommend this movie to people that enjoy Lynchian movies, plus elements of body horror (watch out for that bear scene). The film is ambitious, challenging, thought-provoking, and leaves the viewer to decide his or her own answers. Additionally, this movie conveys a plethora of themes ranging from duality, evolution, annihilation (duh), love (specifically interconnectedness or codependency), biology, and suspicion of our body. This film should be seen several times if anyone can muster the patience and temperament.
As much as this film wants to be "Solaris," "Annihilation" disappoints. Natalie Portman and Oscar Isaac lack chemistry. Every single character appears to be on either Ambien or Xanax. And the way they speak, forget it. The story relies on flashbacks within flashbacks, a great example of bad structure. The violence, although minor, is ugly (Gina Rodriguez's character gets mauled by a bear, her teeth fly out and her larynx is exposed, a dead body decomposes against a pool wall). All these elements create an experience that is off-putting and fail to give the film meaningful impact.