Following a meteorite impact in the southern United States something strange happens; a strange shimmering phenomenon is noticed. Those who enter it don't return. It is growing. Then one day Kane, a member of a Special Forces team that entered the shimmer suddenly returns home to his wife, Lena. He has no idea how he got back. Soon after his return he starts haemorrhaging; on the way to the hospital he is intercepted and taken to a military facility. It is here that Lena learns of The Shimmer; when she learns that another team, this time composed of scientists, is to enter the Shimmer she volunteers to join them. Once inside things start to get strange; communications with the outside are down and consumed rations suggest they have been there at least three days although none of them recall that time. As they head deeper into The Shimmer they encounter strange plants and animals; it would appear that things there mutate at a cellular level... presumably that will include them!

I thought this was a really intriguing film. It was never too obvious what was going on and not all questions were clearly answered. The effects inside The Shimmer were really impressive; depicting some interesting ideas. There was plenty of tension; this rose nicely as a member of the group start becoming paranoid and strange creatures are encountered. The main characters are solid; as is the acting; particularly from Natalie Portman and Jennifer Jason Leigh as Lena and Dr Ventress, the government psychologist leading the mission. I'll admit to being confused at times, but in a good way, I wondered what things meant rather than thinking they didn't make sense. There are a couple of gory moments but nothing too disturbing. Overall I thought this was enjoyably strange so would recommend it to sci-fi fans.

Annihilation is a tough sell. Fans of fast-paced action movies who just want to watch Natalie Portman shooting monsters in the face may be irked by the film's slow pace and reliance on atmosphere. On the other hand, admirers of weighty, cerebral science-fiction may consider Annihilation too pulpy; there are not many violent or horrific scenes, but what violence is there is quite gruesome and what horror is there is fairly disturbing. Nitpicky moviegoers will complain that many things here (both character choices and scientific stuff) don't stand up to closer scrutiny; it's not quite Prometheus bad, but it's sometimes baffling (funny how all these scientists handle the most sickening, pestilent-looking specimens without gloves). Fans of the source material may be disappointed by changes; I haven't read Jeff VanderMeer's novel but I understand writer/director Alex Garland took many liberties with this adaptation.

Me? I liked it just fine. Annihilation is not on par with Garland's remarkable Ex Machina but it does scratch my itch for creepy science-fiction/horror made with craft and care. This feels, in tone and themes, quite Lovecraftian.

In fact, the premise is reminiscent of Lovecraft's underrated The Colour out of Space. A mysterious biological entity from space infects a region of the United States; flora and fauna start mutating, mixing different species, with an uncontrolled proliferation like a giant, ever-expanding tumor. Five female scientists venture in the zone; among them is protagonist Lena (Natalie Portman),seeking a way to help her husband (Oscar Isaac),a Black Ops soldier who came back from the zone sick and deeply changed.

The movie looks great in spite of a slim (for Hollywood standards) 40 millions budget, with excellent, creative production design. While it's not as intellectual or abstruse as some reviews may lead one to believe, Annihilation does put enough spins on familiar tropes to feel fresh and novel; it's not the usual Aliens clone. I did find the very ending a little obvious though.

Still, the film builds up the tension nicely to some unsettling moments, like found footage of a previous mission or an encounter with a monstrous hybrid. I also like how the mutations are not always a source of horror but occasionally also of awe and beauty; again, it feels very Lovecraftian.

Finally, a special mention to the climax in the lighthouse, which I won't spoil; it's creepy, unexpected and feels unique in terms of confrontations with extraterrestrial entities seen in movies.

7/10

Saw 'Annihilation' because it was recommended by a friend, and also the idea was absolutely brilliant and one of the most unique for any film seen recently and the trailer showed a lot of promise. Also have a lot of appreciation for sci-fi/horror, Alex Garland's previous work is very interesting and Natalie Portman has given some great prior performances.

Can definitely see why 'Annihilation' has proven to be so polarising with audiences and IMDb reviewers. Had problems with it myself and it didn't quite match up to the brilliance of the idea, but had also a lot of admiration for its brave if imperfect execution and bold ambition. It almost does live up to its idea, but doesn't quite. As somebody who has seen her fair share of films with potentially good concepts marred by underwhelming, and in a lot of cases terrible, execution, that was refreshing.

'Annihilation' is uneven and has problems. Most of the characters, apart from Lena and to a lesser extent Ventress (there was a little with Cass but only for two or so lines in one short scene),are underwritten archetypes, Josie was not very memorable and there was absolutely no point to the man in the stuff with the affair.

Lena's back-story was mixed. It is very nuanced and affecting in the scenes between her and Kane, but is far from successful in the stuff with the affair, which felt out of place, pointless, came out of nowhere when introduced, was ended very quickly and never heard from again. The dialogue is very clunky at times, particularly with Anya and some of the back-story, while there are some less than logical character behaviours and some bogus science, especially the explanation for the mutated insides (beyond moronic and nearly ruined one of the film's most stay-with-the-viewer scenes).

Not entirely sure what my stance on the final half an hour is. It is choreographed cleverly in movement, is visually stunning, is an atmosphere whirlwind and does probe though and discussion. It is also one of the strangest last 30 minutes of any film seen in a while and it takes a lot for me to be confused, this portion of the film was a head-scratcher for me and the aftermath discussion with my sister didn't really clear things up. If it was meant to be ambiguous or open-ended, it for my tastes was taken too far, don't mind being challenged but being confused is a no-no (in no way intended to be snobbish).

However, 'Annihilation' looks wonderful, one of the best-looking films seen by me recently. Some of the landscapes are pretty spectacular, as is the look of the shimmer. The creatures are very well done, especially the bear creature, and evoke a great deal of creepiness. It's beautifully and atmospherically shot and stylishly edited.

The music is haunting and ominous, doing a great providing slow-building suspense and mystery without making it too obvious prematurely. Some clever use of sound too. Some of the dialogue is thought-provoking, like with the interrogations.

Regardless of any reservations with some of the storytelling, 'Annihilation' is a triumph in terms of atmosphere and as an experience film. There is a slow-building tension that doesn't become dull, enough of it is thought-provoking, tense and emotional and there is a subtle tension. Two scenes stand out, and are two of the most disturbing scenes of any film in a long time. One was with the mutated insides, word of warning- don't watch this while eating, being someone who made that mistake. The other was the second bear attack, a creepy build up then crescendoing in a way that was unnerving and truly frightening. The film is also thematically interesting, familiar themes in both the genre and in Garland's previous work but built on a grander level.

Most of the acting was good, especially the astonishing Natalie Portman giving one of her better performances since 'Black Swan'. Oscar Isaac and Jennifer Jason Leigh are the best in support and Gina Rodriguez fares quite well. Tessa Thompson is too underused to make an impression and her character too bland. Garland directs with great skill.

Overall, not quite brilliant and sometimes frustrating but ambitious, admirable and interesting. 7/10 Bethany Cox