Annihilation

This was a movie I came to since it was lying around on Netflix and sounded interesting. The movie did not disappoint me.

The movie starts with Natalie Portman quarantined and answering questions about some kind of expedition. In the later part of the movie, we learn about an asteroid hitting the earth and spreading an energy from the point of impact. The area is named Shimmer because of the light that emerges from it. A group of women try to explore it after several men fail, and they discover how the genetics are mutated along with light and sound in the shimmer. Their plan is to reach the lighthouse, which is the epicenter. They encounter beautiful and frightful creatures that add thrills to the plot. Lena, played by Natalie Portman, discovers that her husband undertook the same journey before getting hospitalized. However, after collecting enough samples and realizing the dangers of going ahead, they just decide to complete the exploration instead of returning.

In the last 20 minutes, the film suddenly tries to become philosophical. We not only see a video of an alien life force replacing her husband, but even Lena encounters a creature that mimics her. I did not like this particular ending of her trying to escape the place by burning the lighthouse down, since the shimmer is just a force field which does no harm to anyone. No one actually forces her to do anything against her will while inside the shimmer. Unfortunately, unlike Arrival, this movie chooses to treat the alien presence as danger and just burns it down.

After coming back, she asks her husband who he is, to which he replies honestly, and the movie ends there, creating scope for future sequels.

Rating: 3/5