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Overanalyzing Anime
Blog Owner & Lead Writer
When her husband returns home from his latest military tour with a mysterious illness, Biologist/Soldier Lena must venture into an unearthly aberration known simply as, “The Shimmer,” to find the answers she seeks.
I’m very conflicted about this movie because as much as I enjoyed certain aspects of it, I also found many parts incredibly irritating.
Lets start with the positive aspects. For one, this movie manages to blend four different genres - sci-fi, horror, drama, & mystery - into something that’s truly unique. In addition to that, the imagery is stunning throughout - subtle (& not so subtle) variations of familiar environments & organisms really help to make “The Shimmer” an eerily familiar, yet completely unrecognizable place that’s just as beautiful as it is terrifying.
I also really enjoyed the story for its subtle approach to the idea of an invasion. Movies regarding alien invasions often escalate the conflict quickly - with beings from other worlds arriving & launching full-scale attacks that level cities within a matter of hours. The slow approach of “The Shimmer” is something I really liked.
Now lets switch to what didn’t work. My first issue is with the cast. While I love many of these actors in other projects, they all felt bland in this movie - with the exception of Gina Rodriguez (who, oddly enough, reminded me of Michelle Rodriguez in this movie.) This movie was a rare case wherein, while I legitimately cared about the progression of the plot, (i.e. learning more about “The Shimmer” & what lied within) I didn’t care about the characters or their motivations in the slightest.
However, more than anything else, what bothered me about this movie is that it poses more questions than it cares to answer. The mystery yields few answers & with no plans to make a sequel, I feel even more frustrated by its ending. I’m all for thought-provoking, open-ended conclusions but, in this particular case, it didn’t quite work for me.
Even with its stunning imagery & unique story, I still felt incredibly underwhelmed (& somewhat irritated) with Annihilation.
Tell me your thoughts on the movie in the comment section below!
My rating: 7/10
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