Annihilation (2017)

[Robopredinator]

Unlike this reviewer, I didn't walk away noticing an apparent theme or one that suggests "not everything is evil." It's weird to think about it and force a theme on the movie because everything that happened seemed to occur due to "happenchance" - there was no rhyme or reason to it which adds another element of eerie-ness because without motives, you truly cannot try to understand at all.

Agreed, and from what I've read on another forum it sounds like it's actually better than the novel that inspired it.

Spoiler

My wife noticed that Natalie Portman, in certain scenes, had an infinity tattoo on her left arm. Did you catch that? Also, what did you make of the mirroring entity or its motives? In other words, what the hell was it?

 

[Khev]

You might want to fix your spoiler tag.

Spoiler

My wife noticed that Natalie Portman, in certain scenes, had an infinity tattoo on her left arm. Did you catch that? Also, what did you make of the mirroring entity or its motives? In other words, what the hell was it?

Spoiler

I believe that only the escaped "Portman" had the infinity tatoo? I don't think that was really "her." I interpreted the mimicking scene as the alien getting in sync with her and that during one of her feinting spells it had fully absorbed her. I think we were supposed to take the alien as inhabiting both the formless body and Portman's body at the same time and that they had become a matching pair like the two deer. We learned at the beginning of the movie that she was in the Shimmer for four months but the movie only showed us a few days. I'm guessing that she was unconscious in that lighthouse for a long time while the alien was doing who knows what to assimilate with her.

But those are just my initial impressions which could easily change after another viewing/more discussion.

 

[Robopredinator]

You might want to fix your spoiler tag.

Spoiler

I believe that only the escaped "Portman" had the infinity tatoo? I don't think that was really "her." I interpreted the mimicking scene as the alien getting in sync with her and that during one of her feinting spells it had fully absorbed her. I think we were supposed to take the alien as inhabiting both the formless body and Portman's body at the same time and that they had become a matching pair like the two deer. We learned at the beginning of the movie that she was in the Shimmer for four months but the movie only showed us a few days. I'm guessing that she was unconscious in that lighthouse for a long time while the alien was doing who knows what to assimilate with her.

But those are just my initial impressions which could easily change after another viewing/more discussion.

Spoiler

I thought the returned Natalie was the actual one - she sabotaged the entity from fully transforming into her duplicate with the grenade. The Poe that returned was a duplicate yet their eyes both shimmered because while Natalie was inside, the mutation already affected her DNA.

The only complaint I would give in regards to this film is it's missed opportunity to tie the cancer opening to its ending. The psychologist/leader's motives were ambiguous and her demeanor was obtuse throughout the movie which we learned later was because she had cancer and was going to die soon anyway. Since they explained that cancer is a defect in the DNA sequence, which we could ascribe as a "mutation," I thought it would have been interesting and ironic that as the entity broke down the psychologist's body down to the cellular level, it would be her cancer as a mutation, that destroyed the entity. A paradox of the delicate balance between mutation's attempt to live and grow on a mutation's propensity to become the death of itself.

 

[Khev]

"Poe," lol.

Spoiler

Yeah I guess I'd agree that the Natalie who left the Shimmer was her original human body but that she had been modified to the point where she wasn't fully herself, and would most likely continue to lose her original identity more and more over time. That's what seemed to be happening to the original Poe who torched himself anyway. Good point about the potentially missed opportunity with the cancer. Maybe that would have felt too much like the end of War of the Worlds though.

 

[crows]

Saw this the other day some individuals scenes are amazing , very creative and intense. Doesn't come together as a whole though.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I really enjoyed this movie! Not as perfect as BR 2049 or Ex Machina though, mostly because the supporting cast of women just couldn't keep pace with Portman, Leigh, and Isaac. Definitely more of a movie that you simply experience as opposed to figure out.

I *loved* the tied to chairs scene and final lighthouse sequences, those were fantastic.

I'd give it a solid 7.75/10.

Is this worth seeing in theaters for the visuals alone?

 

[Khev]

Not just the VFX and cinematography but audio as well.

 

[crows]

Not just the VFX and cinematography but audio as well.

so it is a must see like blade runner?

 

[Khev]

Well you won't come away thinking it was as good as BR 2049 or anything but I definitely recommend seeing it on as big a screen as possible with as high end a sound system as possible.

 

[crows]

thank you, ill watch it tuesdayrino

 

[EVILFACE]

It's a very plausible take on how we would be visited by an alien life form. I don't think they would be the large eyed grays in flying saucers and ray guns.

 

[Khev]

So despite cool trailers and positive reviews (both movies have exactly 87% RT scores) both Annihilation and BR 2049 utterly bombed at the box office. This does not bode well for the future of artsy/cerebral science-fiction.

 

[Khev]

It's a very plausible take on how we would be visited by an alien life form. I don't think they would be the large eyed grays in flying saucers and ray guns.

Yeah I liked that

Spoiler

the alien was seemingly neither good nor evil but was still a huge problem regardless.

 

[JAWS]

I really enjoyed this movie! Not as perfect as BR 2049 or Ex Machina though, mostly because the supporting cast of women just couldn't keep pace with Portman, Leigh, and Isaac. Definitely more of a movie that you simply experience as opposed to figure out.

I *loved* the tied to chairs scene and final lighthouse sequences, those were fantastic.

I'd give it a solid 7.75/10.

I would give it a solid 7 out of 10 also. I liked it.. I could have loved it.. It got a bit too artsy for me at the end.

The Chair scene you mentioned was one of the creepiest scenes in movies in a long time.. Freaking brilliant. Almost worth the price of admission right there.

The Ending did not do much for me. I don't mind it being open for interpretation or giving no solid answers.. I just wish it offered something a little.... More

 

[JAWS]

Yeah I liked that

Spoiler

the alien was seemingly neither good nor evil but was still a huge problem regardless.

Yeah I went to this with my 12 year old son .. Who like most 12 year olds wanted a reason for everything.. I like the way the alien was handled.

 

[Caped Baldy]

Curious to know what this chair scene is you're both talking about. Can you go into detail?

 

[Snake Plissken]

 

[JAWS]

Curious to know what this chair scene is you're both talking about. Can you go into detail?

There is a chair and a bear.. All I can say.

 

[space ace]

So despite cool trailers and positive reviews (both movies have exactly 87% RT scores) both Annihilation and BR 2049 utterly bombed at the box office. This does not bode well for the future of artsy/cerebral science-fiction.

That’s the sad state of movies today. I thought both movies were incredible. I weep for the future of intelligent sci fi films.

 

[Khev]

The Chair scene you mentioned was one of the creepiest scenes in movies in a long time.. Freaking brilliant. Almost worth the price of admission right there.

Heck yeah.

 

[The Ween]

​I was reading that this movie went direct to Netflix in the UK.