Writer-director Alex Garland’s Annihilation is at times unconventional, pretentious, intelligent, and indulgent. It’s far less accessible than his 2015 film Ex Machina -- Annihilation’s esoteric last act alone will almost certainly prove divisive -- but it’s also a daring, unique sci-fi experience in an age of branded IP juggernauts and safe rehashes.
Natalie Portman carries the film with a cerebral steeliness as Lena, a biologist and former soldier who joins a covert government mission to explore The Shimmer, a mysterious phenomenon whose expansion threatens our very existence. Portman, who is in almost every scene of the film, wisely underplays Lena with a reserve and nuance befitting such a secretive person. But as strong and central as Portman is to the film, Annihilation is an ensemble piece featuring several strong supporting turns.
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Natalie Portman carries the film with a cerebral steeliness as Lena, a biologist and former soldier who joins a covert government mission to explore The Shimmer, a mysterious phenomenon whose expansion threatens our very existence. Portman, who is in almost every scene of the film, wisely underplays Lena with a reserve and nuance befitting such a secretive person. But as strong and central as Portman is to the film, Annihilation is an ensemble piece featuring several strong supporting turns.
Continue reading…
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