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Annihilation Movie

Updated: Feb 17, 2019


I wouldn’t call myself a big sci-fi fan, but I enjoyed Annihilation Movie. For those who have seen it, how would you describe what the movie is about? I read an article arguing that it is about self-destruction, but I think that this definition may fit some but not all of the main characters.

Annihilation follows four scientists, all female, who enter a mysterious phenomenon called The Shimmer, which was created when a meteor fell on a lighthouse, and that continues to expand. Many all-male, military expeditions have already been sent to The Shimmer, but so far only one man returned, and he soon developed a serious medical condition and became comatose. The single returning military man is Kane (Oscar Isaac), husband of Lena (Natalie Portman), a biologist, professor, and military vet. The mystery of his return, after disappearing for one year, is what pushes Lena to volunteer for the new expedition.

The problem with sci-fi movies, in my opinion, is that they tend to fall into one of two traps: (1) the plot goes too far and crosses the lines of the premisses “agreed” with the viewers, and/or (2) it opens too many doors to get us engaged, but then doesn’t know how to close all of them and to tie everything together in a satisfying end (TV show Lost, anyone?).

Annihilation manages to scape both traps. The movie is coherent within its own world, and although it has a kind of open ending, it explains enough to avoid viewer frustration. And as if a good story and a good cast were not enough, the movie is visually stunning. Viewers, however, should not expect a traditional sci-fi horror, as the movie was described. Annihilation is much more cerebral and thoughtful than this label would imply. It may not be a movie for everyone (it got mixed reviews) but I was looking forward to it, and it lived up to my expectations.


- Lalu Farias

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