Plot holes aside, this is a very thought provoking movie

Rating: 7/10 (8 April 2020)

After watching Ex Machina, I immediately saw Alex Garland's next feature Annihilation and it was one of the most interesting films I've seen.
Annihilation is about five scientists that sign on a dangerous mission into The Shimmer, a mysterious zone that's unlike anything on Earth.
When the movie finished, I couldn't help but think about it for a long time. Yeah there are a few plot holes which I couldn't ignore but there is also so much that this film offers that makes you want to talk about and that's one of the best parts of Annihilation. This is a sci-fi that will really stick in your head. Like Ex Machina, Alex Garland implements many themes and ideas that will get fans of the film to analyse in immense detail.
The movie also looks incredible. The look of The Shimmer is gorgeous and once we actually go inside it, the experience is further enhanced by the fantastic cinematography. There are some really suspenseful moments especially one including a bear that increased my heart rate and kept me on the edge of my seat. The execution of tension is done really well. The music towards the end is great and adds a great amount of intensity and atmosphere to what's taking place.
The performances weren't amazing but they weren't terrible by any means. I enjoyed watching Natalie Portman and Jennifer Jason Leigh as I thought they did a good job. Gina Rodriguez and Tessa Thompson were fine. I thought they could have been a bit better. Oscar Isaac was also really good.
Despite its thought provoking story, this film is nowhere near perfect. There were a couple times where I questioned characters' decisions but thankfully it didn't ruin the experience as a whole. The pacing could have definitely been better. All the events that happened before they entered The Shimmer felt a bit dull due to how slow everything progressed.
Annihilation had caught my attention without a doubt. It certainly has its flaws with its pacing and some plot holes which are hard to dismiss but I love what Alex Garland is doing with the sci-fi genre. Both his movies aren't perfect but they do raise interesting questions whether it's related to AI or nature.