Day 54 of the challenge! "That was one of the best movies I have ever seen." Those were my first words after walking out of Annihilation, and I truly mean them. Annihilation is a beautifully shot cerebral sci-fi-horror that perfectly balances an intense, character driven mystery with a slow burning, fever dream of a plot that manages to ground itself in some hard science. It's one of the best time's I've had in a theater! Can't recommend it enough!
Alex Garland (who also wrote and directed Ex Machina, one of my other all time favorite films), is a master of visual storytelling. He conveys everything you need to know about his characters and the world they inhabit through gorgeous visuals and composition. Seriously, this guy has got an eye! Mix in the amazing sound design and an atmospheric score by Ben Salisbury and Geoff Barrow, and you're left with one weird, beautiful package.
There is so much to unpack with Annihilation, thematically speaking. Like any good cerebral story, everyone is going to have their own interpretation about what happens by the end, and what the point of the movie was. This film explores a lot, from human tendency at self-destructive behavior, personal identity (what it truly means to be you), gender dynamics (no mistake that all the leads in this one are females that aren't defined by their relationships to males), to our relationship with our environments. All that and more, all wrapped in with some of the gnarliest body horror sequences I've ever seen. This one scene in particular got me pretty good with not only the look of the creature, but with the sound design. I can honestly go on and on with this, but I think it's best just to let people experience Annihilation for themselves.
Day 54 out, 314 to go....