Following the release of
Altered Carbon and the first footage from Netflix's
Lost in Space reboot, we have traction from another entry from our list of
Most Anticipated Hard Sci-Fi Releases Of 2018., Natalie Portman and director Alex Garland.
With
Black Panther currently taking the world by storm, will Paramount find any success this weekend with a film that critics are calling a "terrifyingly trippy adventure full of interesting sci-fi details?" Probably not, despite a bevy of glowing reviews and 94% Rotten Tomatoes score.
However, all isn't lost as the film was sold to Netflix for international distribution and by most accounts, has already recouped the majority of its $55 million USD budget.
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Annihilation is perfect proof that he is the real deal as a director and visionary -- not only creating a world that you will fall right into but one that's so fascinating that you'll want to investigate it over and over. It's been a long wait since Ex Machina, but Garland proved it was worth it.
CinemaBlend - 5/5 stars
With his debut Ex Machina, an extraordinary study of artificial intelligence and human fallacy, Garland showed potential as a true sci-fi visionary and takes his next step with Annihilation. Some moviegoers will dig Annihilation's audacity, others may find it the craziest flick since mother! It's a completely bizarre tale that will leave heads spinning about what exactly just happened but still finds a way to be genuinely satisfying.
USA Today - 3.5/4 stars
Alex Garland's bracing brainteaser has the courage of its own ambiguity. You work out the answers in your own head, in your own time, in your own dreams, where the best sci-fi puzzles leave things. Get ready to be rocked.
Rolling Stone - 3.5/4 stars
A lavish, magnificently unnerving visual feast threaded through with well-earned jump scares and real metaphysical force.
Entertainment Weekly - Grade: A-
There’s been a lot of talk in the entertainment media about battles over the content and the distribution deal for “Annihilation.” Last December, the Hollywood Reporter ran a piece reporting a major investor in the film expressed concerns it was “too intellectual” and “too complicated” after a less-than-successful test screening.
The esteemed producer Scott Rudin (“No Country For Old Men,” “There Will Be Blood,” “The Social Network”) reportedly had final cut on the film, and he sided with Garland’s vision. So we’re seeing “Annihilation” as the filmmaker intended it to be seen.
Kudos to Garland and the cast, but bravo to Scott Rudin as well. Apparently, you knew a masterpiece when you saw it, and you made sure we were able to see it as well.
Chicago Sun-Times - 4/4 stars
Annihilation won't be for everyone. But those of you that get caught up its majesty and are left haunted, challenged, moved and beguiled by its sumptuous concoction of horror and sci-fi will quickly return to it again and again.
Metro - 4.5/5 stars
There were some interesting sci-fi ideas that were brought up once it’s clear what The Shimmer is…but there was no follow-through. The film as a whole didn’t seem to have much of a point of view. It told me a story, but it didn’t tell me why. What was Garland trying to say with this film? I don’t really know. An argument could be made for several things, but generally, if you’re trying to say everything, you’re not saying much of anything.
The Mary Sue - 3/5 stars
A timely ecological thriller that wouldn't look out of place in Larry Fessenden's oeuvre, the movie probes the interplay of beauty and terror inherent to all natural processes beyond humanity's control with a measured gaze.
IndieWire - Grade:A-
For those willing to put in the effort, "Annihilation" achieves that rare feat of great genre cinema, where we are not merely thrilled ... but also feel as if our minds have been expanded ...
Variety - no score
It’s trippier than “Ex Machina,” and Garland makes a valiant go of its concerns, but “Annihilation” feels like a short-story amount of story pulled and twisted into feature length.
Chicago Tribue - 2.5/4 stars
Elements of Annihilation reminded me of movies like Alien, Arrival and the sort where an expedition travels into the unknown to uncover a secret that just might save humanity from a greater force out to destroy it. The good thing is this is even more of a thinking man’s (or, here, woman’s) sci-fi journey that certainly provides the thrills, gore and excitement we have come to expect from this genre without sacrificing intellect. While providing food for its ravenous creatures, it also provides food for thought.
Deadline Hollywood - no score