Masterclass

Rating: 10/10 (17 October 2019)

Having seen this mysterious 115 minute masterpiece seven times I feel obliged to write about it.
Alex Garland's second official directing gig after the critically acclaimed Ex Machina, which he also wrote, comes in the form of an adapted screenplay from Jeff VanderMeer's 2014 novel. The story follows a biology professor named Lena (Natalie Portman) as she joins a crew of women for a secret expedition into an extraterrestrial force field, known as The Shimmer, to discover its origin.
Annihilation is a captivating trip into the unknown, it's a refreshingly unique story that blends horror and science fiction into an uneasy mixture.
What immediately hooks me is the oozing sense of lucid discomfort and severe danger. Once the crew reaches The Shimmer and things doesn't seem right, we as the audience can sense it through them as they navigate the landscape. Unfolding the story through the lens of the protagonist is the best way to do science fiction, especially when you blend the mystery with horror. The thrill of unraveling the frightening reality, step by step, makes for an adventurous dive into uncertain territory.
The score and visual imagery are the two outstanding technical merits from Annihilation. Ben Salisbury and Geoff Barrow has created a booming and unsettling score to support the mutated and nightmarish imagery put on screen. It goes hand in hand with the uncomfortable nature of the story and elevates the entire material from fantastic to absolute masterclass. Some of the tracks are brooding and creepy, always lingering there in the background, then suddenly coming right at you. The sound department have done a fantastic job, the sound mixing is brilliant.
Garland and his crew of VFX artist and designers have created unforgettable visuals here. Not only have they come up with some never seen before creature designs, but they've brought them to life with authentic results. The practical and digital work is just amazing, there's some truly remarkable moments here. Not only that, they've also managed to combine these terrifying monsters, basically nightmare fuel, with beautiful and colorful artistry, it's a complete 180, on one spectrum there's these horrific abominations of terror, on the other side there's pretty looking plants and animals, sometimes both. It's the mixture of having both and creating this alien illusion that's so impressive.
On the surface the story is this very elaborate and sometimes violent science fiction discovery, but it's more than just that. The obvious one being the cancer parallels, which makes for a more thoughtful experience. It's vocalized several times and works as a passive explanation for The Shimmer and the entire antagonistic nature of it.
The more interesting theme here is "self destruction in character," an unusual topic for a science fiction horror movie. It's a really interesting element to explore in a movie like this, it's definitely unexpected, but it makes sense as the movie moves along. It's explored as a running subject off to the side just as the main characters explore The Shimmer in the quest to find an answer. The same way Lena is looking for answers within herself. The self destruction in action is something touched upon several times during the film, each character suffering in their own way. If you knew your actions and bad behavior could destroy the stable present, would you do it? If so, why? Then why did you do it? Conducts that'll ultimately be self destructive. It's something we're all guilty of. The story of Annihilation is a journey into the mist of self destruction and how it can destroy all of us, either we fight it or we give in to it.
Annihilation is a must see for science fiction fans and lovers of H.P. Lovecraft's work.