Loved Every Bit...

Rating: 8/10 (29 May 2018)

I see a lot of reviews talking about how it's "Confusing" and "It made no sense". I mean come on! It's supposed to make no sense. It's supposed to be confusing. The reason why it made no "Sense" is because something from another world is changing and fusing DNA; it's a very simple story (For people who pay attention). The argument, "Confusing" is more reasonable than "Not making sense". This movie is meant to be "Confusing", and it's meant to make you think, and I respect that direction, because sometimes it's good to have an unexplained ending. I also see a lot of "Boring" in other reviews, and I get it, some people want to see action, but I loved the pacing, and I'll explain later. This movie really does appeal to a certain type of audience; people who love Sci-Fis, Thrillers and a bit of Horror and people who have patience, as this movie does have a slow start. Except from a few little issues, this movie is a really good Sci-Fi.
Story: 9/10
I like how the story doesn't explain things, and you learn more and more when the characters are learning more. But some subplots aren't explained good enough though, like how Lena is cheating on her husband. That subplot is more important then you would think, as it is the cause of Lena's husband (Kane) to leave and join this mission. The pacing affects the cheating subplot, so you really have to pay attention to what's going on. This is one of those movies that explains what happened in the past as the story is progressing, and I think that's why people are so confused. I liked how the movie doesn't go into detain about the alien, or the hole in the lighthouse, and we really don't know anything about everything. One of the biggest issues I have is at the very last scene, where we see Lena's eyes glow, if there was atleast five minutes more to explain just a little more then I guess it would be okay. Now the Shimmer. The idea that all the cells are changing and developing something new is one of the most original ideas I've seen in a long time. Seeing some of the characters change physically and mentally because of the Shimmer is really interesting. Overall, the story is creative. Sometimes a little too confusing, but it's balanced. But one of the subplots could've been done better.
Characters: 7/10
The story really doesn't focus on the supporting characters, and because of that, the characters are weak. All of the characters are explained of why they joined this mission, but not explained into detail. I already forgot most of the characters' names and why they joined, that just goes to show how poor the character development is. I think the characters are so weak is because the characters are used to show the dangers of the Shimmer's environment. Like how Josie was used to show how the mutations affect her, Sheppard and Anya were used to show the dangers of the mutated animals, and Dr. Ventress was used to show the power of the alien. I do think the romance between Lena and Kane was weak, we mostly see them in the subplots rather than the present. Overall, the characters are below average, and the romance is weak, but I liked how the deaths of the characters show how dangerous the Shimmer is.
Action: 9/10
This movie is a mix of Sci-Fi, Thriller and Horror, which is common in Hollywood, but the direction this movie took really makes it unique. As I said before, the Shimmer is one of the most original ideas that has come out in a long time. Using that idea and putting it into a Horror is a great idea. Most Horror movies nowadays rely on jumpscares to startle you, but this has no jumpscares at all, and it's even more scary because of that. One scene, when a bear is in a room walking around beside the tied up crew members, the bear makes a noise. That noise is the voice of Sheppard, how died by the bear. We hear her screams of pain through this mutilated bear. That scene was so intense and frightening that it made me cringe the whole time. The visuals are great, and everyone should atleast agree on that. The pacing is also great, it really keeps me excited for what's happening next. There's that mystery of what could possibly come next. I did hope to see more monsters though, if there was more monsters, then that would've been the icing on the cake. Overall, this is a scary movie (With no jumpscares), the visuals and directing is great and the pacing always caries a suspense.
Overall, Annihilation has to be one of the best horror movies of 2018. And I know people are going to say; "it's not a Horror movie.", but it did make me cringe, because of how scary it is. For me, everything is perfect, except for some little issues. I loved the suspense and how this movie never goes into detail about certain topics. I really do recommend Annihilation. You could watch it on Netflex in some countries, but in others you can't, but if you have the time, try watching Annihilation.