Annihilation

"A biologist went on a mission with a team of scientists to enter a mysterious zone where groups who went there before them never came back."

Title: Annihilation

Year: 2018 Directed By: Alex Garland Written By: Alex Garland Based On The Novel By: Jeff VanderMeer Duration: 1 hour 55 minutes Genre: Sci-fi, Horror Starring: Natalie Portman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Tessa Thompson, Gina Rodriguez, Tuva Novotny, Oscar Isaac Language: English Score: 8.5/10

I've seen the trailer of this movie before and thought maybe it'll just be a so-so movie. The kind of movie that I won't regret not seeing but also be glad if I get the chance to see it. Sadly this movie isn't playing in my country so I just forget that the movie existed. But it didn't get a wide release in other countries also, only Netflix released it digitally. Yesterday I watched a Youtube video about awesome movies released in winter that people might miss. This movie is one of them. And seeing how the video suggested that it's a good one, I decided to watch it. And oh Lord how I'm not disappointed at all. Truly, I will regret it if I don't watch this movie ever. So, thank you Youtube video, you brought me to the right path. And here's how I think about it entirely. 

As always, I'll put spoiler warnings in sections containing spoilers and also when the spoilers end. 

Oh, and I don't read the book so the review is only about the movie. I won't discuss how the book tell the story cause I don't know. 

WHAT'S GOOD ABOUT IT?

1. THE PLOT

From the trailer itself, you can tell that the whole story is mysterious. You don't know what's going on and why things are happening. Director and writer Alex Garland did a great job creating this kind of plot, making people always want to know more. With the subgenre of horror/thriller, the mystery gets even better. A little drama and hidden messages about the nature of human is also slipped into the movie, which makes it even more unique. Everything is wrapped perfectly. For those who've watched Ex Machina, which is the director's other famous movie, you can tell this movie has the similar color of story and madness as Ex Machina. So be ready for curiosity and hunger for answers. 

2. THE ACTING

There is no doubt that Natalie Portman is talented, and she proves it again in this movie. She doesn't have to try hard to show the fear her character is feeling. Apart from her, I think all the other actors also do a great job potraying their characters. The setting and the silence have already done its part providing fear but all the actors make it complete. Some famous names include Jennifer Jason Leigh, the Oscar-nominated actress from The Hateful Eight, Tessa Thompson a.k.a Valkyrie from Thor: Ragnarok, Gina Rodriguez or more known as Jane The Virgin and Oscar Isaac who is Apocalypse in X-Men: Apocalypse. So, there's no doubt they'll perform very well. 

3. THE TENSION / HORROR

Thriller and horror goes very well with mystery. Even though horror isn't something that I can watch, this movie is one of many exceptions because it doesn't show any ghosts. But still, I have to watch some scenes between my fingers. The scary and jumpscare scenes with actual monsters are one thing, but other scenes that don't have monsters in them are also as creepy. Creepier than just making you shocked. More of a disturbing-creepy because of the facts they reveal in the movie. The silence really helps build the tension too. 

4. THE VISUAL

"The Shimmer" - that's what they call the area - is somehow beautifully creepy. From the trailer you can see a few things about that place and the movie shows more. The surroundings aren't always dark and scary. It's beautiful and unique but somehow gives a creepy sense. In conclusion, it's pleasing to the eyes of the audience. Including how the monsters are shown. 

5. FLASHBACKS THAT AREN'T IN ORDER

Non-linear story line is always good when the writer can put them all in the right place. And that's what Alex Garland did. The flashbacks aren't in order, sometimes showing things happening before, sometimes things happening after. But, trust me when I say it's not confusing at all. Instead, it makes more sense and become a lot more interesting to follow towards the end. 

6. THE ANSWER 

The reason I don't put a spoiler warning on this part is because I'm not talking about the answer but just how good it is. I don't call it a twist because this whole movie is about finding out what The Shimmer is and why things are happening, so yeah the ending is the answer. I've watched a lot of movies with disappointing answers or twists. I was kind of afraid that this movie will be just the same because you are not getting anything until the very end. Well thankfully, it's not disappointing. All I can say without spoiling it is that it's awesome enough to keep you thinking about it. 

WHAT'S NOT GOOD ABOUT IT?

1. THE WEIRD MUSIC

Not all the music is weird throughout the movie, but there is definitely some weird ones that I think don't suit the scene. Instead of creating tension, I focus too much on why the music is so weird, and not in a cool way. 

2. BOTHERING UNANSWERED QUESTIONS

Yes, despite the great ending, a lot questions and mysteries are still unanswered. People might say it's a good thing to guess yourselves with your theories, but I don't think it's as satisfying as knowing the truth from the movie itself. But given how awesome the ending is, it's not completely bothering that it gets you angry and annoyed. You can kind of forget about it along the way because you start to realize not every question has to be answered. 

WHAT'S SO-SO ABOUT IT?

(SPOILER ALERT)

1. WHAT THEY FIND IN THE SHIMMER

Well, I honestly was hoping they'll find more interesting stuffs in The Shimmer than just "mutation". They do talk about different theories about what The Shimmer really do but to be short, DNA blends and they transform weirdly. I see the alligator and the bear as just a part of mutation and I think mutation that creates monsters are quite mainstream. Even though they probably have different theories with other movies, the final form of the transformation is what counts. And to me, it's not as unique as everything else about this movie. But still, very entertaining to watch.

2. SOMEHOW NOT BOTHERING UNANSWERED QUESTIONS

Yes, there are bothering and not-bothering unanswered questions in this movie. I'm talking about the ending and what The Shimmer really is.This whole movie is about the latter but they don't give us a clear answer. Again, yes, DNA blends. But we don't know if it's an alien or a sign from God or a message from the future, or anything else. It was concluded that "it was an alien", but it's not entirely clear. Even if it is, they don't give us more explanation on who they are, where they're from, what they want, and why they create The Shimmer then destroy it. What is the real purpose of The Shimmer? Well, Alex Garland really let everyone guess for theirselves.

The other unanswered question is the ending. So, Lena's eyes glow despite the audience knowing that she escaped and seemingly destroyed the duplicate. And that's where all the theories start emerging. Who is that Lena? Is she a duplicate? I she "contaminated"? And so on and so on. Great thing about it is that again, you are given freedom to guess all you want. Usually I'm very bothered with this kind of ending but I don't know why I forgive this movie and actually like the way the writer wrapped it. The mystery stays a mystery.

LIST OF UNANSWERED QUESTIONS (SINCE THEY ARE ALSO THE PLOT HOLES) 

Here are the bothering unanswered questions I mentioned earlier. Also, just to remind you, SPOILER ALERT!

1. The meaning of Lena's tattoo that wasn't there when she went in?
2. Why does duplicate Kane got better after The Shimmer is destroyed? Isn't it his power source? Why did he even bleed and became weak in the first place?
3. Why did the team not remember their first few days?
4. How did duplicate Kane reached his and Lena's house without the authorities realizing he was out of The Shimmer? Well, maybe he transported or something but that's just my speculation instead of a real answer. 

(END OF SPOILER)


Well I'm sorry the last parts of this posts have to contain spoilers. For those who haven't watched it, I recommend you do. It'll keep you at the edge of your seat and your mind won't stop thinking and asking what is actually going on - in a good way, not in a "confused, not knowing what this bad movie is about" way. Enjoy!