Annihilation

My expectations were high for Annihilation. I thought the director’s previous movie Ex Machinia was one best science fiction films I has seen in a long time. A lot of the right elements are there: solid characters, mysterious alien happenings, unique visuals and a squad of armed scientists sent to take on the unknown. However, the artsy, slow pacing hindered the movie. It’s really easy to get distracted and miss what is going on. I thought the movie was just okay the first time I watched it (in a large, somewhat noisy group setting). It seemed a tad silly at times and the trippy 2001-esque ending didn’t land well. I knew I was missing something, and re-watched the movie alone and I have since upgraded my opinion. I still think it pales in comparison to Ex Machina, but the themes of decay are interesting and work when you pay attention.