Natalie Portman leads this disastrous yet entertaining sci-fi thriller.

Rating: Null/10 (10 January 2019)

In what is perhaps one of the most sciencey sci-fil thrillers in recent memory, Natalie Portman leads a crew of all-female scientists into an iridescent space portal known as the Shimmer in order to discover what caused her husband to lose himself once he returned from it. At first, "Annihilation" seemed like it would be an exciting adventure film that explored both a new world and a dynamic character arc. Unfortunately, director Alex Garland does a horrible job of actually exploring and explaining what The Shimmer is and what caused it. I had so many unanswered questions about this film and was left very confused.
The poorly written pace of the film and story structure jumps all over the place, often making it difficult to identify what is a flashback and what is the present. Natalie Portman does her best to be an engaging action hero, yet her one-dimensional and boring character is tough to care for and root for. She's very unconvincing and seems to only want a paycheck out of this film.
Visually, we get a more low-budget sci-fi from that can't compare to other blockbuster hits. Nothing arrests the audience or makes them at awe of what fills the screen. Director Alex Garland doesn't build up the tension at all, instead diving us right into this strange world and crafting no authentic drama or intensity. There is one notable scene that people will enjoy, but for the most part, the film doesn't have any energy or authenticity to it.
Yet, despite much criticism, "Annihilation" does a good job of exploring ideas. Perhaps it should have attached these ideas to its protagonist stringer, but the film carries weight to it and refuses to not explore anything interesting. Because of that, "Annihilation" does hold the audience throughout, even if the ride is sloppy.