What if someone went on a mission into surefire peril knowing that this particular place was going to cause time to jump, the mind to unravel, and uncomfortable realizations to be met? Basically, would you walk into well-documented chaos in order to find out what happened to a loved one?
Annihilation isn't your daddy's ordinary alien flick. Writer/director Alex Garland has other things on his mind, like mutation and the pecking order of the environment's tenants.
Lena (Natalie Portman) wants answers. A biologist with military experience, Lena wants to know what happened to her husband, Sergeant Cane (Oscar Isaacs) when he and a team of soldiers disappeared inside a prism many months ago. A prism? A mysterious lifeform that struck down in Florida, set up its range around a lighthouse, and has taken many lives in just over a year.
Dr. Ventress (Jennifer Jason Leigh) has no idea what to do next. Once soldiers go into the entry point of this unknown threat, there is no data to show for and no one to interview-and then Cane comes back. Or did it? In order to figure that out, Ventress, a psychologist, taps Lena for the mission, along with three other women, including Josie (Tessa Thompson) and Anya (Gina Rodriguez).
When I think about this film, it reminds me of Apocalypse Now, Arrival, and Predator all blended together with a new coat of paint thrown on for good measure. They aren't going into simply reach a point and collect data; the women are gunning for answers that may alter the way the world is looked at. What if you were fighting something that could mutate the DNA of a tree and a human together or blend into an animal?
The intentions are similar to previous science fiction adventures: how did they get here and what is their purpose? After that, Garland abandons the map and makes his own kind of flick, one that requires a fair dose of patience.
Knowing as little about the rest of the plot will aide your enjoyment of this film. The trailers aren't too spoiler-heavy, because I am not sure the studio knew how to properly market this film. We do find out that the story isn't told in a linear fashion. Garland likes to jump around in the past and zip up to the present, sprinkling flashbacks onto the audience as they try to get their bearings.
That's right. Annihilation is a wicked trip. If someone saw this film under the influence of even the most mediocre of drug, that person would run screaming out of the theater. This is an experience that is equal parts unsettling and revealing. Following James Cameron’s The Abyss, more than Cameron's alien flick, Annihilation wants you to talk about civilization's limitless boundaries and the impact extra-terrestrial life would have not only on us, but the world we live in.
If you are wondering if Lena and her team will find something merely scary and in need of killing, you need to take a few steps further.
As he did with Ex Machina (which I just watched today), Garland isn't here to make regular movies. That's child's play to him. With his films, he wants to perform inception on the audience. Plant an idea in your head and see if you catch on and dig a little into the possibility. Adapting a script from Jeff VanderMeer's novel, Garland wants you to think here instead of just look up.
Does Lena find out what happened to her husband? Who survives a freaky encounter with a creature that could be politely described as a buffalo-human hybrid? Is there a true conclusion at the end of the film? Garland gives you all the answers you need.
Here's the thing: Annihilation is easier to admire than love. The first book in VanderMeer's trilogy of novels isn't something you'll warm up to easily. This is a challenging film that is hard to ignore. It has a pacing problem that makes a 115-minute running time seem like 135. There are long-winded moments in the middle that could have been cut down or tightened. Lena, Ventress, and company get themselves into deadly situations, and sometimes the expected happens, and other times, the unexpected occurs. The film keeps you off balance, and may affect certain people different.
This isn't a film for the short-attention span crowd; people who want a quick jolt or thrill before being let off easier. When Rodriguez's Anya tells Lena, "they were either killed, or lost their minds and killed each other," you know the movie has other things on its mind.
Yes, there is a moment near the end where one-character breaks it all down with a monologue that even includes the film's title for the people who fell asleep during the second part of the movie.
The end doesn't tie a neat bow, instead leaving things open for more introspection.
The acting is impressive without being remarkable. You don't hesitate in believing the actors are these people, but you won't rush to praise any of them individually. Portman can carry a film these days, and you follow Lena into the depths of the unknown without pause, but it isn't like another actress such as Emma Stone or Jennifer Lawrence couldn't have done better.
The standout here is Garland and his vision. It's an ambitious one that requires patience, but does provide a payoff.
I must give a big hat-tip to the cinematography, visual effects, and score of this film. They are the seasonings that make this particular dish taste its best during its most difficult moments. The look, twist, and sounds of the movie help transport you to the floor of the building Garland wishes for you to go.
Annihilation isn't perfect and takes its time, but should leave an imprint on you after the credits roll. Its ambition far exceeds its execution. Let's just say I'll be in line for Garland's next film. He's one to watch.
