The critically acclaimed movie Annihilation explained some of its complex themes, but still elicited many questions among viewers by the time the credits rolled. Alex Garland’s 2018 sci-fi Annihilation follows an investigative group as they enter a mysterious quarantined area referred to as The Shimmer. Inside The Shimmer, biologist and former soldier Lena (Natalie Portman) attempts to uncover secrets that could help save her husband, Kane (Oscar Isacc). The basic concept of Annihilation comes from The Southern Reach Trilogy by Jeff VanderMeer. Despite the connection, Annihilation is vastly different from the book it’s based upon.
Annihilation received a positive response, holding a respectable 88% on Rotten Tomatoes. Many reviewers, including Brian Tallerico at Roger Ebert, praised the movie for its gorgeous cinematography and sound design. Additionally, critics appreciated the movie’s use of confusion and tension to push the plot forward. While this helped director Alex Garland develop a solid sci-fi movie, it created questions that need to be answered. Annihilation explained a few details of The Shimmer, though the ending was far from straightforward, with many of the subtler details requiring further exploration.
Annihilation: Original Ending & Differences Explained
The original ending to Annihilation, Alex Garland’s trippy sci-fi horror movie, featured a more apocalyptic outcome than the final theatrical version.
7 What The Shimmer Does & Its Purpose
The Shimmer Is A Force Of Renewal And Creation
In Annihilation, The Shimmer stands as the central mystery that Lena and her team seek to investigate. It turns out that The Shimmer is an alien force that mutates, refracts, and combines DNA from cells, creating entirely new entities. Though they initially believe it to be a force of destruction, Lena discovers that it actually creates something new by breaking down something old.
On top of its primary purpose, The Shimmer in Annihilation causes temporary amnesia while inside it, shown when the team forgets their first six days inside the force field. Additionally, The Shimmer refracts all radio waves, making it impossible to communicate via electronics.
Annihilation’s Timeline Explained
Alex Garland’s sci-fi thriller Annihilation takes place before, during, and after an ill-fated expedition. Here’s a breakdown of the movie’s timeline.
6 What Was That Mutant Bear Monster?!
Annihilation’s Most Terrifying Creature Was Pure Nightmare Fuel
The investigative group encounters two main monsters inside The Shimmer — a crocodile with shark teeth and Annihilation’s terrifying mutant bear. The bear is more horrifying and memorable due to the number of people it kills. Because of its mutations, the bear loses patches of skin on its face, showing its skull. The bear also has a human skull layered on the inside of its skull. From the front, the bear monster shows its normal sharp teeth with a layer of human teeth as well.
In addition to its disturbing appearance — as Annihilation explained through dialogue between Lena and her team — the bear possesses the ability to mimic human screams, a trick used to lure in its prey. This may be due to human vocal cords fused with the bear’s body. This explanation is supported in Annihilation by the fact that the bear ripped out the throat of its victims.
How Scary Is Annihilation?
Annihilation, sci-fi thriller starring Natalie Portman, earns its R rating. Here are what scares you can expect when you enter the Shimmer.
5 Did Jose Turn Into A Plant? What Happened To Her
Tess Thompson’s Character Embrace The Effect Of The Shimmer
Josie (Tess Thompson) in Annihilation is a soft-spoken astrophysicist who goes on the excursion into The Shimmer after struggling with suicidal ideation and severe self-harm. She slowly realizes that The Shimmer will change her just like the creatures they’ve encountered. Unlike the others, Josie finds peace in her fate in The Shimmer, telling Lena:
“Ventress wants to face it. You want to fight it. But, I don’t think I want either of those things.”
This line of dialogue is also how Annihilation explained Josie’s fate. Before she walks away, vines begin sprouting from her skin. They grow with every step. By the time Lena follows her into the clearing, the only thing left of Josie is a human-shaped plant.
Towards the end of Annihilation, the lighthouse goes up in flames, refracting this to mutated objects within The Shimmer. Starting with the crystalline trees, the fire spreads until it overtakes most of The Shimmer. Due to Josie’s status as a mutant plant, it’s likely that she burns down in the same way that everything else did. The uncertainty is likely why Lena tells the interrogator that she didn’t know what happened to Josie in The Shimmer.
Annihilation Character Guide
Alex Garland’s Annihilation follows a group of scientists on an expedition into a mysterious phenomenon called The Shimmer. Meet the team!
4 What Was The Cavern In The Lighthouse?
The Cavern Under The Lighthouse Is The Epicenter Of The Shimmer’s Effects
When The Shimmer crash-landed on Earth, it rammed through the wall of the lighthouse into the ground. Due to the speed at which it fell, the impact created a cavern under the floor of the structure. As such, the cavern in Annihilation is the center of The Shimmer’s effects — the place where it’s most potent. The Shimmer spread with its effects becoming less intense the further from the cavern they are.
Annihilation explained this element of the plot rather loosely, but the closer characters get to the cavern, the more they comment on feeling like they are physically falling apart. They don’t know it at the time, but they’re correct about degenerating. Within the cavern, The Shimmer dissolves beings and creates new refractions of whatever’s DNA is in the space, including humans. Viewers see a duplicate of both Kane and Lena in the lighthouse. Lena’s refraction was created by the broken-down atoms of Ventress’ body and a drop of her blood. It’s unclear who dissolved to create Kane’s refraction.
Annihilation Featurette Explores ‘The Shimmer’
A new featurette for Alex Garland’s sci-fi thriller Annihilation explores ‘The Shimmer’, a phenomenon that could destroy the human race.
3 What Happened To Annihilation’s Real Kane?
Kane Chose A Quick Death
At the end of Annihilation, Lena discovers a videotape in the lighthouse that reveals Kane’s fate. Inside the lighthouse, the real Kane set off a phosphorous grenade while his refraction watched. His body burned up due to the grenade, ending his life. This presumably occurred because he realized that The Shimmer was killing him.
Based on the way that Lena’s refraction occurred, it’s likely that he watched one of his fellow soldiers disintegrate before his refraction formed. With only a short time left, Oscar Isaac’s character in Annihilation took action to die in a quicker, less painful way.
Annihilation Ending & Shimmer Explained
Director Alex Garland returns to high-concept sci-fi with Annihilation. We explore what happened in the ending and what it means for the Shimmer.
2 Why Lena’s Eyes Shimmer At The End Of Annihilation (Is It Really Her?)
Lena Wasn’t Replaced, But She Was Permanently Altered
When Refraction Kane and real Lena hug at the end of Annihilation, his eyes shimmer since he’s a product of The Shimmer. He only existed because the real Kale went into the cavern. This raises the question of why Lena’s eyes shimmer as well. As seen in the movie, Refraction Lena burned up in The Shimmer while the real Lena ran away.
This question has a relatively simple answer. This was another element that Annihilation explained rather (and deliberately) ambiguously, but Lena’s eyes shimmer at the end because her time within The Shimmer permanently changed her DNA. Though Lena retained her consciousness and her human traits, she interacted with many people and creatures that fused with her during her investigative trip. It’s basically impossible that Lena got out of The Shimmer untouched by its DNA-altering effects.
Annihilation: How The Movie Completely Differs From The Book
Alex Garland’s terrifying new sci-fi movie Annihilation is based on the novel by Jeff VanderMeer. But how closely does the film follow the book?
1 The Real Meaning Of Annihilation’s Ouroboros Tattoo
The Symbol Represents Change
In Annihilation, the infinity ouroboros tattoo is first chronologically seen on the arm of Anya, the investigative team’s paramedic. After entering The Shimmer, it later appears on the dismembered arm at the empty military base. Then, what looks like a bruise starts forming on Lena’s arm. This eventually turns into the infinity ouroboros tattoo.
This tattoo represents change in Annihilation. It physically changes from one person’s arm to the next in The Shimmer. Just as the characters emotionally change inside The Shimmer, their DNA and minds also become different due to their experiences.
Annihilation
*Availability in US
- stream
- rent
- buy
Not available
Not available
Not available
Alex Garland’s Annihilation is based on the novel of the same name by Jeff VanderMeer. It follows a group of explorers – comprised of biology professor Lena (Natalie Portman), psychologist Dr. Ventress (Jennifer Jason Leigh), physicist Josie Radek (Tessa Thompson), geomorphologist Cassie Sheppard (Tuva Nvotny), and paramedic Anya Thorensen (Gina Rodriguez) – as they enter “the Shimmer”, a quarantined zone of mutated plants and animals caused by an unknown extra-terrestrial phenomenon. Lena agrees to enter the Shimmer in search of her husband, Kane (Oscar Isaac), who was sent in as part of a special forces operation.
- Director
- Alex Garland
- Release Date
- February 22, 2018
- Studio(s)
- Paramount Pictures
- Cast
- Sonoya Mizuno , Kola Bokinni , Jennifer Jason Leigh , Gina Rodriguez , Cosmo Jarvis , Oscar Isaac , Tessa Thompson , Tuva Novotny , Natalie Portman , David Gyasi
- Runtime
- 2hours
