A meteorite strikes a lighthouse on the southeastern US coast and a mysterious 'Shimmer Zone' begins expanding from the impact point. The government keeps the event a secret and sends military units into the area, but none of these personnel ever return. One of them, the special forces husband of an ex-Army biologist called Lena, suddenly shows up at their home after a year's absence, about which he has little recollection and immediately falls seriously ill.
After this 15 minute prologue, Lena joins the next all-female expedition. The five women enter the zone, discover their communications devices no longer work and witness some disturbing events. Rather than return to base and report these discoveries, they push on, arguing among themselves and making foolish decisions like a bunch of dim-witted teenagers in a slasher pic. The military and scientific background becomes increasingly unbelievable as action sequences and some uninspired CGI overwhelm the film's grown-up possibilities.
Many sci-fi fans will recall JG Ballard conceived the original idea of an expanding zone where the laws of nature are transformed and human psychology reconstructed. Compared to Ballard's 1966 novel 'The Crystal World', Garland's movie version of Jeff VanderMeer's copycat concept is an ordinary adventure yarn spiced up with some mumbo-jumbo. 'Annihilation' ends up as inconsequential as Garland's 2007 'Sunshine' screenplay - and after 'Ex Machina', it's a major disappointment.
After this 15 minute prologue, Lena joins the next all-female expedition. The five women enter the zone, discover their communications devices no longer work and witness some disturbing events. Rather than return to base and report these discoveries, they push on, arguing among themselves and making foolish decisions like a bunch of dim-witted teenagers in a slasher pic. The military and scientific background becomes increasingly unbelievable as action sequences and some uninspired CGI overwhelm the film's grown-up possibilities.
Many sci-fi fans will recall JG Ballard conceived the original idea of an expanding zone where the laws of nature are transformed and human psychology reconstructed. Compared to Ballard's 1966 novel 'The Crystal World', Garland's movie version of Jeff VanderMeer's copycat concept is an ordinary adventure yarn spiced up with some mumbo-jumbo. 'Annihilation' ends up as inconsequential as Garland's 2007 'Sunshine' screenplay - and after 'Ex Machina', it's a major disappointment.