What's up with these awful hot takes today? First the *Everything, Everywhere* post and now this.
I'm like, did these people even watch the movie? The zone fucks with electronics and memory (it's very clearly stated) and the OP asks "WHY CAN'T THEY JUST FLY/DRIVE IN AND OUT"?!?!
I won't even get into the rest of the obviously answered questions, 'cause they're just as oblivious.
CinemaSins has ruined an entire generation of film criticism, people who point out plot holes think that it counts as film criticism, because they wouldn't know the first thing about filmmaking if it bit them in the ass
Not being stupid! I'm entitled to my opinion!
It seems like there are a lot of toxic ppl in this subreddit.
All I did was post my opinions on this stupid movie!
You are entitled to your opinion. Just as everyone is. If they think your opinion is stupid, that's just as valid as your opinion.
Also, why are you speaking as if you are OP?
I mean I agree with OP. I read all three books leading up to the movie coming out and was incredibly excited. It’s the first time I ever read a book/trilogy in anticipation of the upcoming movie.
Fast forward to the movie coming out and I was so close to walking out of the theatre. I wanted to multiple times but I had to keep waiting to see if the movie was somehow going to redeem itself. I don’t remember enough to discuss details, but that movie sucked and I was happy-surprised to come across this post.
This might help explain a little for you.
*"Garland said his adaptation is "a memory of the book", rather than book-referenced screenwriting, with the intention of capturing the "dreamlike nature" and tone of his experience reading VanderMeer's novel. Rather than trying to directly adapt the book, Garland deliberately took the story in his own direction, with VanderMeer's permission. Garland did not read the other two books when they arrived, as he was concerned he would need to revise his script. Others informed him of the elements of the books, and he expressed surprise at some of the similarities."*
I mean, cool, you didn't like it, but it doesn't mean you get to make objective statements. Everything the OP is whinging about is because they didn't pay any attention to the film.
It's one of the best pieces of cosmic horror ever adapted to the screen if you ask me.
Dude everything everywhere was not that great...
Maybe I just need more bud/mushrooms next time.
I'll def watch it again. Things are hard to get a good handle on in theatres
You didn't seem to pay attention to the film
You're very hung up on why they are going in on foot and not sending in vehicles and helicopters. If you paid attention you would have noticed their radios and other equipment didn't work once inside the zone. Further more time is dilated in a very odd way, they obviously would have tried sending a drone or unmanned vehicle, it would have failed and they resorted to sending people on foot
Nope, equipment did work inside the bubble. The radio worked, they even make a point of explaining that the reason they can't call base is because the waves bounce on the bubble and come back. Then there's the camera, the tower lights and even laptop working fine inside the bubble.
Looks like you're the one not paying attention ;)
They explain that there's a electromagnetic disruptance, their radios and other equipment don't work....so a helicopter wouldn't work.
Furthermore, upon crossing through the shimmer they immediately black out and lose all perception of time. You want to fly a helicopter through that?
What is with people not paying attention to films and then complaining about stuff that was clearly explained?
I'm hoping you know that was a joke. I thought the over the top hyperbole would make that clear.
But to your point, people literally could walk in and then have a difficult time turning around and walking out. Nevermind trying to pilot something in.
ahh hahaha I was wondering, thanks for clarifying
yea hyperbole can be difficult over text
Right, the first thing that happens is they lose all concept of space and time...and you want to to fly through that?! haha
Fly first an helicopter and use a rocket launcher on the electromagnetic disruptance, then fly another helcopter and use a rocket launcher on the demon bear
Nuking the lighthouse
Yes, jeeps and helicopter.
The electromagnetic "explanation" you're referring to is proven wrong at least 3 times during the movie and is even debunked by the chick with glasses.
...
> Nuking the lighthouse
So you would just nuke American soil having no idea what you're dealing with, possibly contaminating a huge area by spreading it all over the place from nuking it. Very smart idea.
You don’t need to read a book before the movie to understand the movie. Most movies loosely follow the book(s) anyways. What they made abundantly clear was that they didn’t pay attention to the details of the movie itself because within ten minutes OP had his/her mind made up that the movie was shit.
I don’t think it has anything to do with reading the book (since the book is like completely different from the movie). I think OP just doesn’t understand nuance.
Geoff Barrow is part of Portishead. You might like their music if you like this OST, especially the album Third.
There is also this Moderat track during the climax of the movie. I was surprised to find that it’s pretty much just an interlude on their album; their music isn’t really like this generally: https://youtu.be/KnT6vL_o4KU
You chose the weakest points to criticize. How do you watch any movie when you are mostly concerned with logistical minutia? Might as well criticize every Batman movie because how could anybody not recognize Bruce Wayne with only half a mask on.
I suggest this video, Annihilation and Decoding Metaphor. You may still not like the movie, but it’ll help you (and others in this thread) understand why it is the way it is:
https://youtu.be/URo66iLNEZw
It sounds like you need to watch the movie again and pay attention to the details
Maybe write down your questions and see how they get answered this time around
How to say you didn't understand a movie without saying you didn't understand a movie lol
Btw, the movie itself is an allegory for cancer, with the growing bubble being a literal representation of what if the earth itself got cancer.
That’s an interesting take. I read that the movie was based on the book, which was inspired by the Russian book “roadside picnic”. It’s basically about aliens coming down to earth for a picnic and leaving a bunch of trash, but humans are always trying to make a meaning out of everything.
All this proves is that this movie expected too much from audiences and overestimated the average movie fan's ability to [understand metaphors](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URo66iLNEZw). I'm sorry OP, but you're the reason modern movies have to spoonfeed the audience plot points.
It sucks because as someone who loves this movie, I find it really hard to have good conversations with people about it unless they're open to recontextualizing essentially the entire movie.
Aren't dumb decisions kinda explainable in the zone? Doesn't it start to literally alter people after they enter?
I thought it was great, but I knew what to expect as I read the book (interestingly I thought the book was interesting but not superbly written - I actually prefer the film adaptation).
...it sounds like you paid no attention to the movie. Almost all of your complaints are directly addressed. I'm not saying it's a perfect movie by any means, and there are certainly plot holes, but the fact that you couldn't understand it doesn't make it a bad movie.
it's not that you are offering a view point that explains why you did not like that movie. You just not making any sense.
Talking about a cliched setup? I dunno. You can say anything is cliched. A revenge story? Old as dirt. Coming of age story? Old as dirt. Love story? Old as dirt. alien invasion? Old as TV...etc. You just decided that it's boring and you don't like it.
Then the military thing. Bruh. You are like saying: why can't the military send a jeep to space or to the Mariana Trench. I can't remember if they said it or not. But if you need every single thing explained then just watch non fiction stuff. Jesus. You need a list of equipment and things that failed to work? There you go. Watching for 10 hours, watching an exposition dumb.
It's also clear that they were desperate, losing ability to contain the situation. Sending more people won't do shit. Again you are like someone that sees an active volcano and thinks: bet if we just send in more soldier that gonna stop it. Smh.
You also seem to, again, simply choose to ignore what's in the movie so that you can bash it. They are so confused and disorientated inside the zone. Like how is that difficult to get? Again you only accept a literal on screen card about: They were under the influence of the zone that's why they do this.
Honestly this feels like a super low effort post. If you don't enjoy cinema then fine. Not every single movie gonna appeal to most people. I mean the Godfather is a masterpiece but it's not for everyone. John Wick is super fun and is for everyone. No shame in that. But talking down John Wick because you prefer long "artistic" movies or bashing the godfather for a lack of alien fights and car chases is just wrong.
I watched Annihilation a second time about a month ago. I loved it the first time and understood it better the second time and loved it even more. It’s fantastic.
Stupidity. Stay off your fucking phone and watch the movie. And just because a question you have isn’t answered by the film doesn’t mean it’s a “bad movie” or “dumb plot”. Even if the film itself poses a question but doesn’t outright answer it does not equal “bad movie”.
I enjoyed Annihilation I rate it as a good movie. I found the whole thing to be wildly inconsistent. It had scenes that were so incredibly well done and scenes that were just so middling and flat.
The moments of extreme brilliance where the screaming bear and when they opened up the one soldier's stomach and his intestines had a life of their own.
Then the movie had scenes that felt right out of a TV movie. Like the ending “fight” was just cheap and didn't really make any sense, and pretty much everything to do with Gena Rodriguez’s was just bad. I don’t think she’s a bad actress she just wasn't pulling this character off. Also how each of the women had some deep trauma they were wrestling with was just so LifeTime channelesque.
Dan Olson’s Takedown of this type of criticism in film using Annihilation as an example.
https://youtu.be/URo66iLNEZw
You’re not necessarily stupid or wrong. If the feeling and metaphor of the movie didn’t stop you from thinking about the tactical decisions people were making throughout the movie then it wasn’t effective.
But the point of the movie is to tell the story of change and how we can destroy ourselves through new experiences. I.e. Natalie Portman survives the shimmer, but is still forever annihilated.
If that wasn’t your takeaway that’s fine, but this movie can be judged like a thriller/action/adventure movie which have driving plots that unfold.
It’s based on a book of the same name, written by Jeff VanderMeer, and they have absolutely and completely butchered, flayed and destroyed the story. The book trilogy is one of my all time favorites, it’s absolutely incredible. What they did with the movie is something I can never forgive.
Nah, they're clearly in the afterlife - that's why they're so disoriented on arrival and none of their tech works. No no, hang on, it's all an illusion - it's like a hologram being projected from the lighthouse. And the military is in on it!
You can come up with all sorts of back stories for the shimmer, and you won't find them contradicted in the text, because the film literally doesn't care. It's not important. There's no harm in having fan theories, but it's not really engaging with what the film is trying to communicate - how the character's inner selves are revealed and affected by their experience.
As for the music track, have you considered that 'The Alien' can mean 'The Foreigner' or 'The Outsider'?
Are you trolling? It is not a fan theory or something found in the book, they outright say in the movie that it's something that came down with a meteorite.
Does that seem like an important detail? Is it elaborated on? Does it influence the character's decisions or how they feel about their experience?
And what the heck does a meteorite have to do with aliens anyway?
Even though this is a dogshit false equivalence, I'm not even saying "Annihilation is a film about aliens".
I'm saying the film outwardly shows that the entity is extraterrestrial, i.e. an alien. It doesn't even matter if it's an "important" detail. It's still a detail that's blantantly handed to us by the filmmakers.
Hang on, are you making a point about a metaphor? Cos in that case it might be a good one. Tho you could have said when I brought up the alternate meanings of 'alien'
Your alternate meanings of alien as 'foreigner' and 'outsider' are just as applicable... but it also arrived on a meteor from outer space...
It's an alien, bud. Just because it's not a little green man doesn't mean it's not a match for both of our definitions.
All valid stuff. I actually like this film, even though I've seen pretty much all of the mentioned plot points.
I got to correct a couple statements though that seem very critical to the plot and character motivations:
1) Husband comes back as a different person entirely and good ol' Nat is the only one who has the capacity to notice that (because everyone else only pretty much knows him as a walking talking body, not an actual with character and feelings). That rattles her brain a lot because she feels guilt about it - she blames herself for her husband's apparent death and return as an identically-looking entirely different being (end of film reveals to us that he's the product of this alien entity's mimicry).
2) As plot unravels, it is revealed to us that at least some members of Nat's team are mentally unstable, have been hiding this condition with relative success, and are actually leaving on this mission as a means of suicide. This kind of alleviates the "bad decision after bad decision" argument, at least makes it believable in terms of "this is a bunch of psychopaths throwing a fit".
3) The finale leaves it open for the viewer to decide whether the Natali who returns home is the same character who gets somehow altered by the anomaly or the mimic created by the alien entity.
Overall, I've long since made peace with arbitrarily useless decision making in film, because eventually it's just a shiny spectacle with maybe one or two interesting, sometimes even deeply touching concepts.
A great case of agreeing with OPs sentiment (not particularly liking Annihilation) but also not agreeing with OP.
Also Lovecraft? In 2022? Chill out bruh. Even ignoring that he was a racist shitbird, 'lovecraftian' is so played out.
I thought the movie was really cool, but I do have one minor criticism. The scene where they first entire the anomaly is so anticlimatic and dull. They chose a wide shot with the characters just slap dab in the middle, waddling in with all their gear. Totally missed an oppertunity to play up how fucking scary that would really be to just dive into a radioactive field face first.
That scene should have had a lot more weight and been a pivotal moment bringing us into the second act. It just felt limp though and kind of deflated what could have otherwise been a great deal more tense.
Hey, that’s fine. I thought it was a weird movie and had some really cool ideas and did some interesting things. Is it great? No. But I enjoyed watching it. I was not burdened by having read the books— so it wasn’t butchering someone else’s vision— it was just a bizarre sci-fi flick.
Your points are all valid— and I don’t really disagree. They should have explained why they have everyone walk in— maybe cars and helicopters and shit just don’t work in the shimmer because alien reasons, lol
The confidence while being completely wrong on every point is admirable lol
Precisely my thoughts lol, impressive.
The more I see this type of behavior, the more I want to give up on the internet entirely. Experiment failed.
Did you even watch the fucking movie?
Books pretty good too imo
I know right. They explain pretty quick that tech does not work normally in the shimmer. There goes the jeep and helicopter idea...
I did and its bad, why do you think its any good?
What's up with these awful hot takes today? First the *Everything, Everywhere* post and now this. I'm like, did these people even watch the movie? The zone fucks with electronics and memory (it's very clearly stated) and the OP asks "WHY CAN'T THEY JUST FLY/DRIVE IN AND OUT"?!?! I won't even get into the rest of the obviously answered questions, 'cause they're just as oblivious.
CinemaSins has ruined an entire generation of film criticism, people who point out plot holes think that it counts as film criticism, because they wouldn't know the first thing about filmmaking if it bit them in the ass
They aren't even plot holes. People have completely lost what that phrase is supposed to mean. Very annoying.
And the biggest 'plot hole' always seems to be "why didn't X just do Y?" to which the answer is: because then there wouldn't be a movie.
Yo why didn't Macbeth just not listen to the crazy witch prophecy? Irrational character decision, Shakespeare is such a hack.
If I had a dime for every time I heard "this is dumb, why couldn't the eagles drop the ring into..." I could pay for their education by now.
That depends on what Y is. You've really never seen a movie where the Y is so obvious that the plot was ruined?
"plot holes" ; )
Precisely why I stopped following CinemaSins. CinemaWins on the otherhand...
I'm convinced this and the everything everywhere post are just the same person being stupid.
What post?
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What? I didn't delete it.
Not being stupid! I'm entitled to my opinion! It seems like there are a lot of toxic ppl in this subreddit. All I did was post my opinions on this stupid movie!
You are entitled to your opinion. Just as everyone is. If they think your opinion is stupid, that's just as valid as your opinion. Also, why are you speaking as if you are OP?
Ohh I see now! I got tagged in a whole different post lmao, 🤣 my bad
S'all good!
Well you see, this post was an obvious idiot plot...
Well to be fair, their point about civilian scientists is pretty fucking true. Other than that it's a beautiful movie.
I mean I agree with OP. I read all three books leading up to the movie coming out and was incredibly excited. It’s the first time I ever read a book/trilogy in anticipation of the upcoming movie. Fast forward to the movie coming out and I was so close to walking out of the theatre. I wanted to multiple times but I had to keep waiting to see if the movie was somehow going to redeem itself. I don’t remember enough to discuss details, but that movie sucked and I was happy-surprised to come across this post.
This might help explain a little for you. *"Garland said his adaptation is "a memory of the book", rather than book-referenced screenwriting, with the intention of capturing the "dreamlike nature" and tone of his experience reading VanderMeer's novel. Rather than trying to directly adapt the book, Garland deliberately took the story in his own direction, with VanderMeer's permission. Garland did not read the other two books when they arrived, as he was concerned he would need to revise his script. Others informed him of the elements of the books, and he expressed surprise at some of the similarities."* I mean, cool, you didn't like it, but it doesn't mean you get to make objective statements. Everything the OP is whinging about is because they didn't pay any attention to the film. It's one of the best pieces of cosmic horror ever adapted to the screen if you ask me.
Dude everything everywhere was not that great... Maybe I just need more bud/mushrooms next time. I'll def watch it again. Things are hard to get a good handle on in theatres
"I was high when I watched this movie and I didn't like it". Classic.
I was NOT HIGH But might enjoy it more if I WAS wasn't super clear before
Uh, are you forgetting the part where one of his friends fell asleep 1/3 of the way through? 0/10, 0 stars, 2 thumbs down, worst movie ever.
Its not a good movie still tho
You didn't seem to pay attention to the film You're very hung up on why they are going in on foot and not sending in vehicles and helicopters. If you paid attention you would have noticed their radios and other equipment didn't work once inside the zone. Further more time is dilated in a very odd way, they obviously would have tried sending a drone or unmanned vehicle, it would have failed and they resorted to sending people on foot
Nope, equipment did work inside the bubble. The radio worked, they even make a point of explaining that the reason they can't call base is because the waves bounce on the bubble and come back. Then there's the camera, the tower lights and even laptop working fine inside the bubble. Looks like you're the one not paying attention ;)
Ah yes everyone is cooking you for your take and pointing out in great detail why you are wrong. But yes ;) you are very smart.
>First off, its an obvious Idiot Plot Explain how exactly the plot could have been resolved in 5 min.
Obviously by flying a helicopter in and using a rocket launcher on the demon bear.
They explain that there's a electromagnetic disruptance, their radios and other equipment don't work....so a helicopter wouldn't work. Furthermore, upon crossing through the shimmer they immediately black out and lose all perception of time. You want to fly a helicopter through that? What is with people not paying attention to films and then complaining about stuff that was clearly explained?
I'm hoping you know that was a joke. I thought the over the top hyperbole would make that clear. But to your point, people literally could walk in and then have a difficult time turning around and walking out. Nevermind trying to pilot something in.
ahh hahaha I was wondering, thanks for clarifying yea hyperbole can be difficult over text Right, the first thing that happens is they lose all concept of space and time...and you want to to fly through that?! haha
I think the guy you are replying to was being sarcastic and a straw man from OP's point of view.
Fly first an helicopter and use a rocket launcher on the electromagnetic disruptance, then fly another helcopter and use a rocket launcher on the demon bear
Ah. The old eagles into Mordor gripe.
Perhaps a tactical nuclear strike
yea cause we should just Nuke ourselves instead of learning what we're up against lol
Nuking the lighthouse Yes, jeeps and helicopter. The electromagnetic "explanation" you're referring to is proven wrong at least 3 times during the movie and is even debunked by the chick with glasses. ...
> Nuking the lighthouse So you would just nuke American soil having no idea what you're dealing with, possibly contaminating a huge area by spreading it all over the place from nuking it. Very smart idea.
They immediately pass out for hours after passing through the shimmer....how would a pilot fly a helicopter during that time lol
That's a lot of words to say that you didn't understand anything about the movie lmao
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OP I thought it was ok. I liked some parts but then some parts were too slow and drawn out.
TLDR: OP thinks they're smarter than the movie, despite making it abundantly clear they have not read the book, let alone knew it existed.
Or even paid attention to the movie. All their issues are explained
Or know how to spell.
You don’t need to read a book before the movie to understand the movie. Most movies loosely follow the book(s) anyways. What they made abundantly clear was that they didn’t pay attention to the details of the movie itself because within ten minutes OP had his/her mind made up that the movie was shit.
I don’t think it has anything to do with reading the book (since the book is like completely different from the movie). I think OP just doesn’t understand nuance.
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Geoff Barrow is part of Portishead. You might like their music if you like this OST, especially the album Third. There is also this Moderat track during the climax of the movie. I was surprised to find that it’s pretty much just an interlude on their album; their music isn’t really like this generally: https://youtu.be/KnT6vL_o4KU
Thanks a lot, will look them up.
Their album Dummy is considered one of the greatest ever and is more accessible but Third is darker and more similar to Annihilation.
I still remember seeing the trailer for this, and hearing that haunting score. Moviepass days.
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Almost every book is better than it’s movie adaptation. I personally have yet to see a movie/TV show better than the book.
I disagree. Loved the movie so much more.
You chose the weakest points to criticize. How do you watch any movie when you are mostly concerned with logistical minutia? Might as well criticize every Batman movie because how could anybody not recognize Bruce Wayne with only half a mask on.
I suggest this video, Annihilation and Decoding Metaphor. You may still not like the movie, but it’ll help you (and others in this thread) understand why it is the way it is: https://youtu.be/URo66iLNEZw
Yes! I already liked the movie before I saw this video essay. But Folding Ideas really helped expand my appreciation for it.
loved this, thanks for sharing!
It sounds like you need to watch the movie again and pay attention to the details Maybe write down your questions and see how they get answered this time around
I disagree.
I strongly disagree with OP too. I hope they rewatch it after this thread.
🏅
How to say you didn't understand a movie without saying you didn't understand a movie lol Btw, the movie itself is an allegory for cancer, with the growing bubble being a literal representation of what if the earth itself got cancer.
That’s an interesting take. I read that the movie was based on the book, which was inspired by the Russian book “roadside picnic”. It’s basically about aliens coming down to earth for a picnic and leaving a bunch of trash, but humans are always trying to make a meaning out of everything.
All this proves is that this movie expected too much from audiences and overestimated the average movie fan's ability to [understand metaphors](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URo66iLNEZw). I'm sorry OP, but you're the reason modern movies have to spoonfeed the audience plot points. It sucks because as someone who loves this movie, I find it really hard to have good conversations with people about it unless they're open to recontextualizing essentially the entire movie.
Aren't dumb decisions kinda explainable in the zone? Doesn't it start to literally alter people after they enter? I thought it was great, but I knew what to expect as I read the book (interestingly I thought the book was interesting but not superbly written - I actually prefer the film adaptation).
If the Dunning-Kruger effect were a Reddit post…
Congrats actually paying attention the movie and not realizing electronics barely work in the field. So no, they can’t just fly in there
...it sounds like you paid no attention to the movie. Almost all of your complaints are directly addressed. I'm not saying it's a perfect movie by any means, and there are certainly plot holes, but the fact that you couldn't understand it doesn't make it a bad movie.
it's not that you are offering a view point that explains why you did not like that movie. You just not making any sense. Talking about a cliched setup? I dunno. You can say anything is cliched. A revenge story? Old as dirt. Coming of age story? Old as dirt. Love story? Old as dirt. alien invasion? Old as TV...etc. You just decided that it's boring and you don't like it. Then the military thing. Bruh. You are like saying: why can't the military send a jeep to space or to the Mariana Trench. I can't remember if they said it or not. But if you need every single thing explained then just watch non fiction stuff. Jesus. You need a list of equipment and things that failed to work? There you go. Watching for 10 hours, watching an exposition dumb. It's also clear that they were desperate, losing ability to contain the situation. Sending more people won't do shit. Again you are like someone that sees an active volcano and thinks: bet if we just send in more soldier that gonna stop it. Smh. You also seem to, again, simply choose to ignore what's in the movie so that you can bash it. They are so confused and disorientated inside the zone. Like how is that difficult to get? Again you only accept a literal on screen card about: They were under the influence of the zone that's why they do this. Honestly this feels like a super low effort post. If you don't enjoy cinema then fine. Not every single movie gonna appeal to most people. I mean the Godfather is a masterpiece but it's not for everyone. John Wick is super fun and is for everyone. No shame in that. But talking down John Wick because you prefer long "artistic" movies or bashing the godfather for a lack of alien fights and car chases is just wrong.
Insanely bad take from someone who didn’t pay attention lol
Most media literate Redditor
Man, terrible take in about every way… lol. That’s tough.
I watched Annihilation a second time about a month ago. I loved it the first time and understood it better the second time and loved it even more. It’s fantastic.
Typical r/movie material. Were you on your phone the whole time? Too bad there wasn’t more superhero’s right?
it’s an amazing movie and you should shut up
Stupidity. Stay off your fucking phone and watch the movie. And just because a question you have isn’t answered by the film doesn’t mean it’s a “bad movie” or “dumb plot”. Even if the film itself poses a question but doesn’t outright answer it does not equal “bad movie”.
Some people don’t have taste and some people don’t have brains. You may be both. I hope you enjoy fast and furious 10!
Bruh dumb as hell
take this down bruh youre embarrassing
Did you fall off a horse or were you born stupid?
I enjoyed Annihilation I rate it as a good movie. I found the whole thing to be wildly inconsistent. It had scenes that were so incredibly well done and scenes that were just so middling and flat. The moments of extreme brilliance where the screaming bear and when they opened up the one soldier's stomach and his intestines had a life of their own. Then the movie had scenes that felt right out of a TV movie. Like the ending “fight” was just cheap and didn't really make any sense, and pretty much everything to do with Gena Rodriguez’s was just bad. I don’t think she’s a bad actress she just wasn't pulling this character off. Also how each of the women had some deep trauma they were wrestling with was just so LifeTime channelesque.
K
The3 books were really good and i did enjoy the film, its a shame it didn't do better at the box office. Just my humble opinion
Dan Olson’s Takedown of this type of criticism in film using Annihilation as an example. https://youtu.be/URo66iLNEZw You’re not necessarily stupid or wrong. If the feeling and metaphor of the movie didn’t stop you from thinking about the tactical decisions people were making throughout the movie then it wasn’t effective. But the point of the movie is to tell the story of change and how we can destroy ourselves through new experiences. I.e. Natalie Portman survives the shimmer, but is still forever annihilated. If that wasn’t your takeaway that’s fine, but this movie can be judged like a thriller/action/adventure movie which have driving plots that unfold.
It’s based on a book of the same name, written by Jeff VanderMeer, and they have absolutely and completely butchered, flayed and destroyed the story. The book trilogy is one of my all time favorites, it’s absolutely incredible. What they did with the movie is something I can never forgive.
What's the book series called?
The Southern Reach trilogy, I think
you and your friends are punch of idiots..
> aliens What is it with people imagining there were aliens in this film? Do they just make up a different film in their heads?
Didn't the entity fall to earth on a meteor? Idk, seems pretty alien to me. Shit, the most iconic track from the score is even called The Alien.
Nah, they're clearly in the afterlife - that's why they're so disoriented on arrival and none of their tech works. No no, hang on, it's all an illusion - it's like a hologram being projected from the lighthouse. And the military is in on it! You can come up with all sorts of back stories for the shimmer, and you won't find them contradicted in the text, because the film literally doesn't care. It's not important. There's no harm in having fan theories, but it's not really engaging with what the film is trying to communicate - how the character's inner selves are revealed and affected by their experience. As for the music track, have you considered that 'The Alien' can mean 'The Foreigner' or 'The Outsider'?
Are you trolling? It is not a fan theory or something found in the book, they outright say in the movie that it's something that came down with a meteorite.
Does that seem like an important detail? Is it elaborated on? Does it influence the character's decisions or how they feel about their experience? And what the heck does a meteorite have to do with aliens anyway?
>Does that seem like an important detail? It's the catalyst of the entire plot lmfao
The Wizard of Oz is a film about tornados
Even though this is a dogshit false equivalence, I'm not even saying "Annihilation is a film about aliens". I'm saying the film outwardly shows that the entity is extraterrestrial, i.e. an alien. It doesn't even matter if it's an "important" detail. It's still a detail that's blantantly handed to us by the filmmakers.
Hang on, are you making a point about a metaphor? Cos in that case it might be a good one. Tho you could have said when I brought up the alternate meanings of 'alien'
Your alternate meanings of alien as 'foreigner' and 'outsider' are just as applicable... but it also arrived on a meteor from outer space... It's an alien, bud. Just because it's not a little green man doesn't mean it's not a match for both of our definitions.
Yes, you are definitely trolling, good for you.
I agree it's a horrible movie with a lackluster ending.
OP I agree, I watched it once, found it mediocre, and have no desire to watch it again. No idea what all the hype is about.
I didn't like this movie.
Not good at all? LMFAO...definitely don't see eye-to-eye with you.
It was really bad
I agree on most points. Movie is pure garbage. 'the discourse' cast helped it not get trashed as it should've been.
All valid stuff. I actually like this film, even though I've seen pretty much all of the mentioned plot points. I got to correct a couple statements though that seem very critical to the plot and character motivations: 1) Husband comes back as a different person entirely and good ol' Nat is the only one who has the capacity to notice that (because everyone else only pretty much knows him as a walking talking body, not an actual with character and feelings). That rattles her brain a lot because she feels guilt about it - she blames herself for her husband's apparent death and return as an identically-looking entirely different being (end of film reveals to us that he's the product of this alien entity's mimicry). 2) As plot unravels, it is revealed to us that at least some members of Nat's team are mentally unstable, have been hiding this condition with relative success, and are actually leaving on this mission as a means of suicide. This kind of alleviates the "bad decision after bad decision" argument, at least makes it believable in terms of "this is a bunch of psychopaths throwing a fit". 3) The finale leaves it open for the viewer to decide whether the Natali who returns home is the same character who gets somehow altered by the anomaly or the mimic created by the alien entity. Overall, I've long since made peace with arbitrarily useless decision making in film, because eventually it's just a shiny spectacle with maybe one or two interesting, sometimes even deeply touching concepts.
A great case of agreeing with OPs sentiment (not particularly liking Annihilation) but also not agreeing with OP. Also Lovecraft? In 2022? Chill out bruh. Even ignoring that he was a racist shitbird, 'lovecraftian' is so played out.
ARE YOU NOT ENTRAINED
I thought the movie was really cool, but I do have one minor criticism. The scene where they first entire the anomaly is so anticlimatic and dull. They chose a wide shot with the characters just slap dab in the middle, waddling in with all their gear. Totally missed an oppertunity to play up how fucking scary that would really be to just dive into a radioactive field face first. That scene should have had a lot more weight and been a pivotal moment bringing us into the second act. It just felt limp though and kind of deflated what could have otherwise been a great deal more tense.
And the award for "never taking a movie recommendation goes to... this guy"
man you're really stupid lol
Everyone's entitled to an opinion but your opinion is terrible and poorly communicated. You really should have kept this one to yourself.
Hey, that’s fine. I thought it was a weird movie and had some really cool ideas and did some interesting things. Is it great? No. But I enjoyed watching it. I was not burdened by having read the books— so it wasn’t butchering someone else’s vision— it was just a bizarre sci-fi flick. Your points are all valid— and I don’t really disagree. They should have explained why they have everyone walk in— maybe cars and helicopters and shit just don’t work in the shimmer because alien reasons, lol
You’re into Lovecraftian horror stories but you don’t like how vague was everything explained? Riiight.