Welcome back to Sound Off!, a semi-regular column where members of Speculative Chic gather together to chat about the latest BIG THING in entertainment. This time, enter the Shimmer and discuss Annihilation, which premiered in the United States on Friday, February 23, 2018.
Sound Off! is meant to be a reaction, but not necessarily a review. After all, while we are all individuals, even mutual love of something (or hate) can come from different places: you may find everything from critique to fangirling to maybe even hate-watching.
Now, join J.L. Gribble as she talks about Annihilation. [Note: Spoiler-free!]
J.L.: I suppose the best thing that can be said about this movie is that I walked out of the theater determined to read the book that it is based on. It was not a bad movie by any means. I should be clear, of course, that the movie is perfectly watchable without having read the book beforehand. The moments that left me scratching my head were not bad writing or bad movie-making, but instead mysteries that are intentionally left unsolved. The story itself behind Annihilation obviously contains multiple layers, and I thoroughly enjoyed the journey I experienced in the theater.
As the trailer made obvious, this film is visually stunning. By the time the CGI gets a bit too overwhelming, I was at the finale of the plot and was content to just ride it out. Up until that point, so much of the beauty looks more like practical effects that are well-suited to film, and the rainbow shimmer in the air is so subtle that your subconscious knows that something isn’t right without it continuously smacking you over the head that the characters are in a different (and perhaps dangerous) place.
The trailer is crafted to make this movie appear as more of a horror film than the thoughtful science-fiction thriller is actually is. A few moments made me jump in surprise rather than because it was an intentional “jump scare.” Other moments were tense and slightly gruesome, but not necessarily horrific.
Image via screenrant.com
Perhaps the most important and subversive part of Annihilation, beyond the science-fiction elements, are that the exploratory team we follow is made up entirely of women. Though the movie did face a white-washing controversy for the roles that Natalie Portman and Jennifer Jason Leigh played, women of color are represented by Tessa Thompson and Gina Rodriguez. Diversity in terms of mental health and sexual orientation are also represented as three-dimensional character traits rather than extraneous plot elements some creators feel the need to shoehorn in. Most intriguing as a viewer and storyteller myself was my inclination to dislike Dr. Ventress’ character. Would I have felt the same way about her had she been a male character leading a team of men?
Though this movie leaves many questions unanswered, I refrain from demanding a sequel until after I’ve read the full trilogy. Good thing I’ve already bought the first book.