A mindbending masterpiece turning epic in the end.

Rating: 9/10 (16 March 2018)

Just... WOW. This is not only SciFi at its best with a groundbreaking concept breaking away from all predictable boring clichÃ©s we have come so used to being fed with in modern action-packed "Sci-Fi" cinema. No, this is Film at its absolute best. I would go as far as to say that this is a masterpiece and the up there with "Moon" from 2009 in its genre.
Like a David Lynch, Alex Garland has a gift for the implicit. Its Annihilation's strongest suit and it works so well with the sublime soundscapes and the underlying menace and nightmarish story-arc seeping into the spectator's mind while you were busy marveling at the visuals.
Unlike Bladerunner 2049, albeit visually also strong, being completely bereft of emotion due to its static main actor, the strong almost exclusive female cast here (Nathalie Portman!) pushes the acting to skyhigh levels. Not only Portman deserves an Oscar but also Garland for its choice of quality instead of aiming for profit and pleasing the big audience. This is a film any cinephile will toroughly enjoy from beginning to end. It starts off very strong, midway I feared for a slight moment Annihilation would spiral down into a typical boring horror SF as happens usually in this genre (Promotheus anyone?) though nothing was further from the truth, it surprises you gets all mind**** psychological on you and truly shines in its final scenes. This is an I can't stop watching it thanks to its amazing and well built-up story, the tensionarc and its stunning beauty.
And the scenes are oh so memorable... Without spoiling anything, one of the last scenes in this movie might be the creepiest yet most beautiful moment to come out of any film in a long, long time.
One of the best SF films of the last 20 years!