Just got done watching it. I know there’s been a few comments already in the movies thread but given it’s readily available on Netflix and that it’s based on a relatively popular book series I thought it could do with it’s own thread. Really annoying to have not seen it in the cinema and I don’t have that big of a TV so really leaned in at some moments. I also have Netflix but really unreliable internet so I ended up torrenting it to be safe.
As a big fan of the books and Alex Garland I really enjoyed it, despite being surprised at just how much they changed. The tension throughout was excellent, and the cast performed well, Jennifer Jason Leigh stood out for me in particular but I rated Portman too. Some really great production design, the sets and the creatures were astounding. I didn’t take any issue with the CGI and in some moments I thought it was used to particularly beautiful effect.
Thought the body horror stuff was really well done. Particularly the soldier exploded against the wall of the pool, Tessa becoming a plant and the manbearpig with the woman’s scream.
One part that I disagree with from the positive reviews was the score. Didn’t think the guitar score suited the film at all and it only really worked when it went fully electronic towards the end.
Spoilers for Annihilation the book:
I was really surprised at how much they changed from the novel. No topographical anomaly, no lighthouse keeper, crawler is an alien thing, characters have names, Biologist was a soldier with a completely different personality, husband’s clone stays alive, Area X moving rapidly over 3 years not 30. I think they were smart decisions for the film. Only the change in the biologist’s personality bothered me.
Spoiler for book 3:
Odd that the only thing from the second two books is the revelation from Acceptance that the psychologist had cancer. Also how explicit they are about it being from space