Annihilation thematically conveys the entirety of life and humanity's own self-destruction. When your directorial debut is 'Ex Machina', the enormity of the pressure that follows rises at an extraordinary pace. To actually better it would be an achievement so rare that it would cement Garland as one of the best sci-fi directors working today. Ladies and gentlemen, we have ourselves the third perfect film of the year. A group of military specialist scientists enter an expanding quarantined zone known as 'The Shimmer', where their own sanity is put to the test. Mutating landscapes, transmogrifying creatures, psychological paranoia. On the surface, this seems like a traditional sci-fi mystery which, by the time the conclusion proceeds, will confuse many viewers. However, beneath the vibrancy of the colourful mutated flora and fauna, is a multi-dimensional conceptualised story that attempts to tackle some very heavy themes. Humanity's effortless inevitability of self-destruction, the mind's susceptibility to grief during times of loss, the intoxicating enormity of life itself. The symbology used throughout, particular the representation of flowers, is nothing short of genius. Genuine thought-provoking science that entranced me at every second. Garland seamlessly intertwined unadulterated character development with intelligent themes to create a complete story. The perfect equilibrium for science fiction. His directing techniques captured the resonant enigma of 'The Shimmer' and the characters' real time consciousness equally, thus crafting an utterly memorable piece of cinema. The cast were phenomenal at continuing the mysterious undertone that Garland intended to create. Unknown to reasoning until the last chapter. Words cannot describe the sheer beauty and captivation that the last chapter withheld, my body was perched on the sofa and my jaw hit the floor. Hardy's gorgeous cinematography accompanied by Salisbury and Barrow's eerily calm score produced an entirely foreign environment within our own world. Needless to say, Annihilation is phenomenal and undisputedly obtains the perfect rating.
