This is a cerebral film with complex themes, and in many ways the execution surpasses its source. Here is fundamentally a psychological study of individuals on a suicide mission, as each of them is forced to confront a particular existential dread. There is an intentional ambiguity and surrealism permeating every frame, leaving both the characters and viewers mesmerized as they traverse through a kaleidoscope of a shifting biological landscape. Inside this place, everything wavers and shifts, distorts, transitions and ultimately breaks down: including minds. There are elements of stark horror, creepiness, and existential dread woven into a strange lovecraftian palate. There are no easy answers or explanations, as evidenced by the framing device. Director Alex Garland is confident enough to leave the viewer contemplating what they have just witnessed and what it might mean. Like with Ex Machina, the intention is to leave the viewer pondering the nature of something alien: ourselves.
Annihilation