Review 715: Annihilation

 

Based on the novel Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer; When her husband Kane (Oscar Isaac) vanishes during a secret mission, biologist Lena (Natalie Portman) leads a group of scientists, phychologist Dr. Ventress (Jennifer Jason Leigh), geomorphologist Cassie "Cass" Shepherd (Tuva Novotny), paramedic Anya Thorensen (Gina Rodriguez) and physicist Josie Radek (Tessa Thompson) inside "The Shimmer", a mysterious quarantined zone of mutating plants and animals caused by an alien presence.

The primary themes at the centre of Annihilation are depression, grief and the human propensity for self-destruction, growth, life, death 

Grief: 

Life: Throughout the film, Lena and the team The Shimmer makes new lifeforms by merging existing ones together

Death: 

Growth: The Shimmer is a prism, acting as both a mirror and amplifier, refracting and intensifying every piece of information it recives.

Alex Garland uses psychology, biology and geology to great effect to tell this story. One of the ways it uses psychology is in how it explores the theme of humans acting in self-destructive ways and our tendencies to harm our environment.  All the members of the expedition are shown to have masochistic and malicious tendencies, tendencies that   As Ventress says, “almost all of us self-destruct. It’s coded into us.” 

the cinamtography is the score by Ben Salisbury & Geoff Barrow is haunting and  the visuals and special effects are stunning, The Shimmer itself has an almost hypnotic look to it featuring a dazzling riot of colours from deep purples, baby blues and bright yellows. The film portrays The Shimmer as like a cancer, unthinking cells that grow and spread. Lena and her team encounter many strange sights including colourful growths, plants with different species of flowers and which grow in human shapes

Oddly enough, the aliens represent growth while the humans represent self-destruction.

You really can't go wrong with Natalie Portman as your leading lady and she brings a lot of grounded empathy to the role of Lena. Even though we follow Lena, she's the last participant to arrive

Jennifer Jason Leigh   Ventress has cancer and  She enters “The Shimmer” as some sort of suicide.

Gina Rodriguez is a standout playing Anya Thorensen. Rodriguez brought a warmth and humor to the role early in the film as well as capturing her struggle with the loss of her control and her body. Anya is quickest of the group to snap when the group enters "The Shimmer". Anya is an adict.

Tessie Thompson  Josie Radek is intriguing 

Tuva Novotny

Benedict Wong, Oscar Isaac and Sonoya Mizuno round out the cast with