From Writer-Director Alex
Garland comes Annihilation, an
adaptation of Jeff VanderMeer’s novel of the same name. What lies within The
Shimmer, and will you understand it when you find out?
Lena (Natalie Portman), a respected
biologist and professor, believes her husband, military man Kane (Oscar Isaac),
is dead—killed in action overseas. That’s what makes it all the more
distressing when a clearly disoriented Kane shows up inside Lena’s house—a year
after he left for his mission. Kane starts coughing up blood and some people in
unmarked vehicles take the two of them into custody. Lena awakens in a research
outpost in the Southern United States. She is greeted by Dr. Ventress (Jennifer
Jason Leigh), who tells her the obvious that Kane is very ill. Believing she
can help her husband, Lena asks for the full scoop. Just outside the outpost, a
prismatic, translucent barrier envelops all behind it and the area encased in
“The Shimmer” is widening. Kane was part of an expedition force into The
Shimmer and was the only one to return. A new team, entirely comprised of
women, is going in next. Lena wants in. Inside The Shimmer, different animal
and plant species are being merged into something new. Sometimes the results
are beautiful and sometimes horrific. What is the source of The Shimmer? Can
its advance be stopped? Will Lena be able to help Kane with the answers she
finds, if any?
Annihilation
is not the film you think it is. The trailers have painted it as a kind of Aliens pastiche with a lot of
guns-blazing, monster-fighting action, but there is much, much more to this
film than all that surface material. This is a hard science fiction film that
is far more mind-bending than the trailers would lead you to believe. It is a thought-provoking
film that will generate discussion among audiences about what actually happens
in the story. This is not a film that spoon-feeds the audience the answers. If
that sounds like your kind of thing, you’ll love Annihilation. I really enjoyed
it myself. I’m not much of a horror fan, as listeners of The Hodgepodge Podcast know well, so those elements didn’t thrill
me, but the film itself is riveting, no matter how grotesque it gets in certain
parts. It’s a twisty science fiction tale that will have you trying to figure
out what’s happening along with the characters. With this and Ex Machina, Alex Garland is proving to
be the go-to guy for thoughtful science fiction. We definitely need more of
that.
The cast Garland has
assembled is dynamite. I’m a big Natalie Portman supporter, so I’ll see just
about anything she’s in. She does a great job here as a woman and scientist not
only dealing with the fantastic situation in The Shimmer, but also with the
more grounded problems of grief and guilt. Portman handles it all with deft
skill. Jennifer Jason Leigh is also really good as Ventress, a character you’re
never sure you can completely trust. What is her ultimate goal in The Shimmer
and what will happen when or if she achieves it? Every science fiction tale
needs that character you’re not sure of. The rest of Portman’s team is filled
out equally dynamic actresses. Tessa Thompson plays Josie Radek, a physicist;
Tuva Novotny plays Cass Sheppard, a geologist; and Gina Rodriguez plays Anya
Thorensen, a paramedic. It’s greatly entertaining to watch each actress deal
with what they find in The Shimmer and how it changes them. Will they all be
able to keep it together and come out on the other side? Oscar Isaac is
positively haunting as Kane and David Gyasi gives a nice performance as Daniel,
a colleague of Lena’s. However, this show belongs to the ladies and they are
fantastic tour guides through the bizarre world of The Shimmer.
Overall, I greatly enjoyed Annihilation, but it may not satisfy
those who like their films wrapped up in a nice bow at the end. If you like a
movie that will twist your brain as well as provide a few frights, you’ll love Annihilation.
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