A Slow, Yet Powerful Story

Rating: 10/10 (24 February 2018)

Writer/director Alex Garland has been in the game for quite some time. Writing fantastic movies like 28 Days Later and Sunshine, his knack for filmmaking has always been present but was taken to another level in 2014 when he wrote and directed his first feature film in Ex Machina.
Being one of my favorite films of that year, I found myself extremely excited for his next directed project. Annihilation has just hit theatres and if you're not someone who enjoys a slow burn in order to reach a worthy payoff, then this movie may not be for you. If you're up for anything and can embrace any sort of sci-fi story, then here's why I think you'll probably end up loving this movie as much as I did.
Going into detail about the plot of this film would truthfully ruin it, so I'm going to explain this premise as simple as I possibly can. After having to deal with a tragic personal incident, Lena tasks herself with a group of women who plan to enter a forcefield area that has been created after a meteor has hit.
Learning that they may not all come out alive, they strive forward to find the answers. Yes, that sounds very vague, but it's hard to talk about this movie to someone who hasn't seen it. For a premise like this, you need a few key things to make it work; A great screenplay, a great cast, and a nice through-line of direction to hold the movie together.
Annihilation is a film that places its characters first before anything else, and while that definitely works in its favor, if the story surrounding them doesn't work then the overall film will fall pretty flat.
Although it takes itself very seriously and many of the scenes are very slow-paced, you can tell that Garland has created a film that will slowly reveal itself as it goes along, providing insight into the backstory of each character as well as providing answers as who what exactly they're trying to uncover. Flashing back and forth between the past and the future, answers are given at the most opportune times in order to benefit the film.
Natalie Portman remains a powerhouse when it comes to dramatic performances. I've always been a fan of her in pretty much any dramatic role and this one was no exception. That being said, she's not the only one who shines here.
From Gina Rodriguez to Tessa Thompson, each of the supporting members seemed to have their time to shine and certain inciting moments had me on the edge of my seat. There are some truly thrilling moments sprinkled throughout this movie and I couldn't wait to see what was going to happen next. I know I'm a sucker for great sci-fi films, but this is just another one to add to the list.
In the end, while I can't say everyone will love this movie because I'd be lying if I did, I believe that everyone can at least admire the attempt at being different and unique from most mainstream movies out there today. Annihilation takes risks and doesn't give itself up to a generic conclusion. It chooses to be different from most films and never lets its foot off that peddle. Wonderfully directed, very well-written, and beautiful to look at, I can't really come up with any huge complaints.
Yes, some will complain about the pacing and few may even complain about it being too bizarre in its final act, but I found these aspects to be a great addition. Annihilation is a fantastic movie and I wouldn't be surprised if this film ends up in my discussion for best films of 2018 at the end of the year. The year is still very young, but I can't recommend this movie enough. Go in with an open mind and you may just love it.