A Movie Review: Annihilation

Annihilation. The movie starts with Lena (Natalie Portman) in hospital scrubs. She is being questions by an individual who is in a hazmat suit. He's trying to get details from her regarding her time spent inside the shimmer. The shimmer was caused when space debris lands near a lighthouse. Immediately a shimmer (an anomaly that creates a color-filled distortion that looks like a domed Aurora Borealis) appears that slowly expands. The movie occurs three years after the start of the shimmer and by this time it has expanded to the point where it takes days to walk to the lighthouse.

The movie then flashes between timelines. Most of the movie is spent with Lena inside the shimmer. It also goes back to her time with her husband Kane (Oscar Issac) and their marriage; and during the interview process.

We learn via these flashbacks that Kane suddenly appears in their home after having gone missing for a year. He suffers a massive hemorrhage and is rushed to the hospital. The military intercepts the ambulance. Lena is taken with him. Both are brought to the edge of the shimmer. He spends his time in a hospital bed, dying. She is being held due to security/interrogation issues as her husband was actually in the shimmer and from what we know was the only individual to ever find his way out of the shimmer.

Lena soon learns that there is another expedition going into the shimmer. It is being led by Dr. Ventress (Jennifer Jason Leigh) with Anya Thorensen (Gina Rodriguez), Josie Radek (Tessa Thompson) and Cass Sheppard (Tuva Novotny) also going. Lena volunteers to go with them. She has the perfect qualifications. She has a military background and is a biology expect.

Inside the shimmer we quickly learn certain details that I don't think are overt spoilers. We learn that time appears to dramatically slowdown inside the shimmer. Also, biological changes occur quickly. Breeding between various plants and animals occur in random fashion (or not so random fashion).

Maybe it was just my mood, but I really loved this movie. (I say this because critics loved the movie, but the audience appears to have hated it.) Though not all the characters were well defined, I thought a number of them were. Decisions made by Dr. Ventress, Anywa, Josie and Lena all made sense. Perhaps the only characters that weren't well defined were Cass and Kane. Kane, of course, spent a significant amount of time in either the ambulance or a hospital bed.

I also enjoyed the sense of dread that even though much of this world inside the shimmer is beautiful, there is this constant sense and reality of danger. Also, there is this over-arching thought of what it means to be human and what it would mean to give that up. Perhaps this shimmer will provide the world with a new meaning of humanity or this is just an attempted alien invasion.

And the ending allows for some debate on what we're to assume is the final outcome. If there was a sequel, this no doubt would be answered, but based on the box office that isn't likely to happen. If one wants, the ending provides for a handful of interpretations. All are just as likely to be the correct interpretation.

My petty complaints (spoilers):

I found that eventually the music got monotonous.

Hey, when Tessa got attacked at the house (seen via the movie trailer), she was wearing her eye glasses. After being rescued, the glasses are gone. Totally makes sense considering the situation. Later, her glasses are back on. Movie goof? Also, she seems to have not suffered any injuries from the attack.

So we learn that it takes -- I believe -- six days to get to the lighthouse, but two days to exit from the lighthouse. Okay, so why exactly did they start where they started?