'Annihilation' creates a distinctly unnerving experience despite faltering plot

"Annihilation" (2018) is a strange movie. That should not immediately surprise viewers, considering director Alex Garland’s previous directorial project was "Ex Machina" (2015), a science-fiction feature that emphasized the disturbing ways artificial intelligence might one day interact with humankind. However, "Annihilation," based on Jeff VanderMeer's book of the same name, is much, much weirder than "Ex Machina," and viewers will certainly walk away from the movie feeling shaken, confused or more likely a strange mixture of the two.

The movie features Natalie Portman as Lena, a former military member and now a cellular biologistworking at Johns Hopkins. Her husband Kane, still in the military, has been missing in action for a yearand is presumed dead, until he shows up on her doorstep out of thin air. But he quickly becomes violently ill, and en route to a hospital both he and Lena are intercepted and taken into custody by a special ops team. When Lena wakes up, she is informed by psychologist Dr. Ventress (Jennifer Jason Leigh) that she and her husband are currently located near Area X, home to an anomaly known as The Shimmer.No signals are escaping The Shimmer, and although multiple teams have ventured inside it, no one has ever returned, besides Lena’s husband.Determined to discover what happened in order to save Kane, Lena volunteers to venture inside the Shimmer as part of an all-female exploration team, alongside Dr. Ventress, paramedic Anya Thorensen (Gina Rodriguez), physicist Josie Radek (Tessa Thompson) and anthropologist Cass Sheppard (Tuva Novotny).However, the expedition quickly deteriorates, and the team struggles to stay sane inside the terrifying, otherworldly Shimmer.

When "Annihilation" gets something right, it really gets it right. The acting is one such strong point, and it is consistently good throughout the film. Portman’s performance is consistent and feels realistic, with an incredibly strong bedroom scene perfectly showcasing her talent. But the other actresses are notable, as well — Leigh is cold and unnerving in the best possible way, while Rodriguez delivers moments of both terror and comedy with equal measures of talent. The film also succeeds in creating realistic female characters: There are no gender-based clichés or stereotypes and no dependence on male love interests. Each actress portrays fully fleshed-out characters, and this strong foundation allows the movie to succeed even when it begins to struggle in other areas.

Another high point is the film's visual effects, coupled with its soundtrack. The CGI is at times a bit obvious, yet for the most part it flawlessly creates a world of both intense beauty and utter horror, allowing audiences to inhabit The Shimmer along with the exploration team. The rampant mutations present in The Shimmer look like ideas straight out of Garland’s dreams, and this allows the movie to really sink under the viewer's skin in a way that would not otherwise be possible. And sink in it does, as it is revealed that The Shimmer causes mutations in every living thing present inside of it. The cast notices changes in their own bodies and simultaneously discovers incredibly disturbing footage from past exploration teams. Additionally, the soundtrack only works to enhance this dual effect of beauty and horror. Folksy-sounding melodies are overlaid with techno-bass that amplifies feelings of unease and dread,and the latter half of the movie features a soundtrack that invokes deep space, adding yet another layer of surrealness to "Annihilation."

Unfortunately, the movie is not without its flaws despite its excellent premise, acting and visual/audio effects. The first half works wonderfully; the movie explores the idea that all life is flawed, born only to self-destruct from the cellular level upward. As the cast enters The Shimmer, it is revealed that they are all damaged in some way, reflecting the nature of the cell to ultimately self-destruct. The anomaly itself further twists and warps the characters’ sense of self, all the while maintaining an air of mystery that makes "Annihilation" even more unsettling. The movie thus far raises intense, personal questions about what it means to be alive, and it does so in a nuanced and meaningful way.

However, the second half of the film sees its plot spiral out of control. Dialogue feels cliché and corny, while the events leading up to the ending try (and fail) to retain an air of mystery while simultaneously explaining the force behind The Shimmer. In revealing details about the anomaly, "Annihilation" loses a lot of its mysterious horror, and the ensuing confusion will leave viewers scratching their heads. The result is a narrative that completely falls apart and an entirely unsatisfying conclusion. Garland still manages to ask deep questions about the meaning of life, but these questions lose their impact amidst the jumble of the second half. This is particularly upsetting given that "Ex Machina" demonstrates that he knows how to end a movie on an ambiguous and intriguing note; why he failed with "Annihilation" is somewhat of a mystery. Even the very last scene feels forced and cannot manage to salvage the messy plot, in spite of the mystery it tries to leave with viewers.

Overall, "Annihilation" manages to shine brightest when it becomes a truly immersive experience, enveloping its viewers almost like a microcosm of The Shimmer. While the movie struggles past the halfway mark, it is still good enough that this mistake can be overlooked, and the film will stay with its audiences long after they leave the theater, wondering at life’s beauty and tragedy and feeling as if perhaps their own sense of self is mutating, too.