Science Fiction at it's most unquantifiable - that's good!

Rating: 9/10 (15 January 2019)

Writer-Director Alex Garland follows up Ex Machina with a smart, visually stunning, incredibly originally thought science fiction feature that engages the audience and provides an intricate exploration of themes, all brought to life by a wonderful ensemble.
Direction/Writing: The world created in Annihilation is simply stunning. Alex Garland takes his fictional "shimmer" to a whole new level and showcases some purely science fiction ideas. He also writes intriguing character arcs that evolve around the idea of Annihilation itself. He uses some biological concepts as metaphors for the characters that truly works. The story isn't completely original, sure, but the way it is executed and the steps it takes are so breathtakingly unique and interesting.
Performances: Natalie Portman shines as the Star, as she always does. Oscar Isaac showed why he's one of the most underrated actors in show biz with just a few minutes of screen time. The rest of the team was incredible; Jennifer Jason Leigh in particular left an impression. The standout of the shimmer team was Tessa Thompson, who conveys a broken, traumatized, lighthearted woman with such empathy and passion that it's hard to tear yourself away.
Other thoughts: the score was subtle, yet awesome. The visual effects were frankly stunning and off the charts. The production design was breathtakingly beautiful and, at times, fittingly eerie... and the artwork displayed was intricate and magnificent.
Annihilation is a fittingly unquantifiable piece of Science Fiction. (9/10)