Chris here. It's not too early to start getting excited for what's coming next year, right? Call it optimism to get 2017 over and done with (even if it's providing us with great films). And one of our most anticipated of next year is one that comes early: February's Annihilation.
The film is writer/director Alex Garland's follow-up to the beloved Ex Machina and is another stoic sci-fi endeavor. Based on the first book in Jeff VanderMeer's Southern Reach trilogy, Natalie Portman stars as a biologist exploring the mysterious Area X after her husband's expedition of the land ended in disaster. Area X is a geographical anomaly of sorts, and the government may or may not know the full extent of its power. VanderMeer's series is a tricky bit of first-person genre work, so I have long been curious how it could translate to film, particularly with his creepy but evasive details of Area X. Let's take a look at the first trailer and run down the Yes No Maybe So of the results:
YES
- This cast! Portman, Gina Rodriguez, Tessa Thompson, and Jennifer Jason Leigh together? Who cares what they're even doing, but extra intriguing that they'll be exploring a mysterious jungle!
- Oh and Ex Machina reunion: a shirtless Oscar Isaac! I'm already writing a letter to Santa that we get another sexy dance scene here too.
- Allow me to pick my eyeballs off of the floor. Garland could have gone wild in capturing Area X, but these images are captivating in a way that perfectly captures VanderMeer's mounting wonder and dread.
- Ex Machina still kicks ass on rewatch and this looks like a natural step forward in scale and vision from Garland. Do we have a new scifi master?
NO
- As far as the books are concerned, VanderMeer leaves much to the imagination - but Annihilation in particular is frustrating in the details it refuses to give the audience. If the film is the same, expect some annoyed moviegovers.
- The CGI is transfixing but it's getting dangerously close to Lisa Frank fantasy.
- Narrative avoidance plus an emphasis on visuals often equals an empty experience. If that's what we get here, we'll also get another failed franchise.
MAYBE SO
- Without getting into spoilers, I have some suspicions that aspects from other books in the series have made their way into this film. Which I think would be a very smart choice.
- You get a real sense of the threat of Area X in this teaser, but without spoilers. And some of what you do see is not exactly what meets the eye if you know some plot details.
This teaser is a stunner, so I am a YES even if I have some trepidation. What are your thoughts?