Creative and Mesmerizing, but Flawed

Rating: 6/10 (21 June 2019)

After first watching it, I didn't quite know what to think of Annihilation, Alex Garland's follow-up to Ex Machina. On one hand, the combination of hypnotic visuals, original science fiction concepts, and effective horror sequences, as well as the refreshingly weird and unconventional story drew me in. On the other hand, the bland exposition scenes, forced dialogue, unconvincing CG and inconsistent performances prevented me from loving this movie. The first act definitely drags but I absolutely loved the ending. The last 20 minutes or so were definitely the highlight of the film for me. Overall, I would definitely recommend Annihilation. Despite its flaws, it's still one of the more unique science fiction films in recent years and I'm glad it's developed a following in the time since its release.