Weird and not entirely successful

Rating: 5/10 (15 March 2018)

ANNIHILATION is Alex Garland's follow-up to his EX MACHINA and, although not perfect, a film I enjoyed a little more than that science fiction picture. This one's a fantasy/science fiction/horror production about an expedition to a remote installation, where an all-female team of scientists discover the presence of something very, very odd which has the power to alter and transform nature itself for the worse. It's a heavily derivative production, short on plot and heavy on cool visuals, copying the likes of THE THING and Lovecraft at times, although never quite as interesting as its forebears. Natalie Portman makes for a dullish protagonist and the supporting cast aren't much better, Oscar Isaac included, although I got a kick out of Jennifer Jason Leigh's performance. The film utilises some surprisingly poor CGI at times but it also has some very gory interludes you don't normally see in a mainstream picture. It's weirdest at the climax, which is the part of the film I liked the best.