Gradebook: Annihilation
Annihilation: The Gradebook is the ratings of newly released films by the contributors and fans of We Live Entertainment. If you are interested in participating, join the We Live Entertainment Fan Chat Page on Facebook and look for the weekly posts of new releases.
Daniel Rester: Annihilation (7.7/10)
“Annihilation,” Alex Garland’s follow-up to his masterful “Ex Machina” (2015), is a brain-teasing sci-fi pic that’s alternately amazing and beautiful and tedious and pretentious. The film is led by a solid female-driven cast, with Natalie Portman shining as usual, and it’s cinematography and visual effects are often stunning. The story is intriguing, but by the third act it begins to feel muddled with its messages. This is a movie where I admired many of its parts but was left cold by its whole. Still, the good parts are really good.
Kevin Falk: Annihilation (9/10)
An incredibly inventive and creative film that while does have elements of other Sci-Fi channels new ground for the genre that we haven’t seen in a while. Though at first, it appears this is just going to be your typical creature feature quickly turns into something much more thought-provoking and highly unnerving that eventually blossoms into one of the most intelligent and well thought out horror films I’ve seen in a while. It also contains some fantastic particularly from Portman and Rodriguez who give some of the best work of their respective careers. The film also has some of the most arresting visuals I’ve seen in a while that is easily the best cinematography I’ve seen this year thus far. While I’d love to get more into the film that would venture into spoiler territory so all I can say is see it as soon as possible. It is still incredible this was actually able to get a theatrical release in the first place and that alone is enough of a reason to check out this groundbreaking film immediately. Garland may not be on the level that someone like Villeneuve is quite yet but if this film is any indication he could very well become one of the best sci-fi directors in recent memory and I for one can’t wait to see what he has up his sleeve in future films.
Nick Canino: Annihilation (9.5/10)
Annihilation marks this as being one of the best sci-fi films I’ve seen this decade so far since this is one of the most mind-blowing and mesmerizing experiences I’ve had at the movies this year so far, and it’s also one of the most visually-stunning, beautiful, exhilarating, and thought-provoking films I’ve seen this year so far. It features some of the best visual effects I’ve seen put to film this year so far, as well as having not only some groundbreaking performances by Natalie Portman and Gina Rodriguez, but also having the best cinematography I’ve seen this year so far. It also proves that between this and his last film that he directed which was Ex-Machina, Alex Garland has a lot of potential to become one of the best filmmakers working today.
Average We Live Entertainment Gradebook Score for Annihilation: 8.7/10
*Keep checking back as more We Live Entertainment fans see and review this film, we will be updating.
