Definitely a head scratcher and not for everyone

Rating: 7/10 (6 March 2019)

Annihilation directed by Alex Garland based on the novel by Jeff VanderMeer is a sci-fi movie starring Natalie Portman, Oscar Isaac with supporting roles for Jennifer Jason Leight, Benedict Wong, Gina Rodriguez, Tuva Novotny, and Tessa Thompson. The basic premise is a meteor hits a lighthouse and subsequently creates a "shimmer" that is growing and radically changing everything within it with as of yet no survivors or explanations. It's somewhat of an alien horror movie built around a psychological thriller.
The acting was really split and I really enjoyed some of the roles and really disliked others. Natalie Portman as always does a wonderful job breaking out an emotionally charged complex character and has decent chemistry with Oscar Isaac in a slightly less than great performance as her husband and spark that starts the plot rolling.
The special effects were wonderful leaving just enough to the imagination to make you wonder what's real and what isn't. I felt like the sound was overwhelmingly powerful in only a couple moments and left us in quiet reflection at many points. This was definitely intentional and a wonderful piece to the overall atmosphere of the movie.
Overall, the acting of the supporting cast and the somewhat arbitrary approach to dealing with the shimmer left a little to be desired but the mystery, suspense, and final reveal were worth the wait! Good movie, just missed being great!