Most of all, the artistic success of “Annihilation” comes down to the way Garland metes out information visually. And the sound design, especially in the climax, is spectacular, keeping us disoriented and frightened with atonal noises that almost sound like they’re turning in on themselves. Cinematographer Rob Hardy, who also shot “ Ex Machina,” works with Garland to use the natural world as effectively as the pair used those sleek lines and reflections of the lab in their previous film. “Annihilation” is an exercise in maintaining tone and keeping the action of the piece relatable enough so that it doesn’t spin off into something easily dismissible. If I described some of its scarier scenes, you might laugh, but Garland finds a way to make the insanity work, and watching that balancing act can be invigorating. “Annihilation” could have easily become campy or silly. It’s a film that balances disorientation with the grounded performances of its cast, who keep us engaged in each interaction, believing the danger as it unfolds. Garland reveals just enough at every turn to keep us confused but also in the moment with Lena and the crew. This is not an alien planet, and yet there’s a sense of danger and some sort of biological aberration within these woods. “Annihilation” really becomes itself once the team crosses that threshold into the woods, a fascinating setting for a sci-fi flick that reveals itself slowly. If you’re wondering how much has been spoiled at this point in the review, the answer is almost nothing. Ventress, and three others-tough-talking Anya ( Gina Rodriguez), shy Josie ( Tessa Thompson), and sweet Cass ( Tuva Novotny)-will venture into The Shimmer, get to the lighthouse, and return. The assumption is that something in there kills people or people go crazy and kill each other. Past The Shimmer, no radio signals have returned, and no manned missions have produced a survivor … until her husband.
Ventress ( Jennifer Jason Leigh) informs her that it’s called ‘The Shimmer,’ and that they have been investigating it for three years now.
On the horizon, near a tree line, she sees what can best be described as a rainbow wall. Then Kane starts spitting up blood.īefore long, Lena is brought to a place called the Southern Reach, a research facility a few miles from that lighthouse in the opening shot. Garland is brilliant in the way he parcels out information with a quick scene, line, flashback, etc.-giving us just what we need to process and analyze the action in front of us while also staying one step ahead of us, making us eager to catch up. In a quick flashback, Garland shows us a playful, smiling Kane, so we the viewers can sense along with Lena that something is not right with the dead-eyed man in front of her. Kane ( Oscar Isaac) may be home, but there’s a sense immediately that something is wrong. A successful biologist, Lena seems just about ready to get over the grief of her missing husband-who has been gone on a covert mission for a year and presumed KIA-when he walks up the stairs and into her bedroom. Who is this woman? Why is everyone treating her like a biohazard?įlash back, again we presume, to a time before Lena ( Natalie Portman) was possibly radioactive. People watch the interrogation through glass and wear protective masks even though they’re not in the same room with her. What looks like a meteor hits a lighthouse in the opening shots of “Annihilation.” Flash forward, we presume, to a woman being interrogated by a man in a hazmat suit.
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