One Trippy Science Fiction Movie

Rating: 8/10 (28 February 2018)

I had a rough idea of what to expect going into this, but it turned out to be more (mentally) challenging and enjoyable than I could have imagined. Without a doubt, Natalie Portman carries this film. Coming from Alex Garland ('Ex Machina', 2014), I knew this wasn't going to be some special effects/CGI shoot 'em up laden offering. If anything, I think it was very restrained in all of the possibilities that could have filled up more than the nearly 2 hour running time of this movie.
'Annihilation' is centered around a astronomical event that sees an object that impacts the Earth and results in a inexplicable and dangerous environment named Area-X. As the story unfolds, a sparse group of main characters, that includes Portman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Gina Rodriguez, and Tuva Novotny, is selected to follow previously failed expeditions into Area-X. Oscar Isaac stars as Portman's husband, who was part of the last previous team sent in. Early on in the story, he reappears unexpectedly and serves as motivation for Portman to consent to join this almost certainly doomed mission. While the film does focus on character development, it does manage to slip into some obvious stereotyping, but this didn't detract from the film too much.
As things got rolling, I decided to intentionally not focus on things I would have deemed plot holes, choosing to let the story play out on it's own terms instead. There were so many additional areas this film could have covered or added for complexity, but as I noted, it manages to squeeze in just enough to avoid feeling bloated or indulgent.
The story line jumps around a bit and initially generates confusion as to just where this story is going, but they all come together like an intricate weave as the finale is presented. At times the film seems to plod along, but the pacing is intentional and you need to stick with this to realize the benefit. I was thinking of several friends and relatives who may have a hard time not yelling out 'BORING' in a few places, but as I said early on, this isn't some flashy roller-coaster ride; it's more of a slow cerebral burn - which I could only summarize with one word - trippy!