Alex Garland quietly worked as an acclaimed screenwriter for years in Hollywood, penning the scripts for genre favorites like 28 Days Later, Sunshine, and Dredd. But in 2015, Garland took a massive step forward with Ex Machina, which he both wrote and directed. The chilling sci-fi tale of a seductive robot (Alicia Vikander), her helpless victim (Domhnall Gleeson), and the mad scientist (Oscar Isaac) who created the mess in the first place became a surprise hit that year, tapping into mainstream fear of the growth of artificial intelligence and even taking home an Oscar for Best Visual Effects. After initially being disappointed by the film, I came around and recognized it as one of the best of the year, a thought-provoking fable that proves to be a memorably frightening journey. Ex Machina officially cemented Garland's status as a filmmaker to watch, and after such a confident, assured debut, sci-fi fans and movie fans alike wondered what the director would do next. We quickly learned that Garland would tackle an adaptation of Jeff VanderMeer's best-selling novel Annihilation. Originally scheduled for release in 2017, the film was pushed back to avoid conflict with Paramount's loaded fall slate. Nonetheless, the studio released the strange and wonderful first trailer today- check it out below!
I genuinely don't know what to make of this trailer, and trust me, that's a good thing. Over the last few months, internet rumblings have suggested that Garland has delivered something wildly original here, something beyond description. And based on this trailer, Annihilation is going to live up to the hype. This is an excellent teaser trailer, one that doesn't give away too much of the plot, but stunningly conveys both a sense of atmosphere and details the basic narrative structure. For starters, this looks like a completely breathtaking film, bold and striking in its visual choices. But after Ex Machina, that isn't necessarily surprising. Slightly more shocking is Annihilation's seemingly surrealist approach, balancing the iciness of Garland's debut feature with a story that feels like a jaw-dropping riff on Apocalypse Now. This is the kind of original sci-fi fare that I crave, and I'm there for this film on opening day no matter what. After delivering one of the most audaciously compelling directorial debuts in recent memory, it looks like Garland has followed it up with an ambitious, challenging epic that will confound and mystify audiences. I, for one, cannot wait.
Annihilation stars Natalie Portman, Oscar Isaac, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Tessa Thompson, Gina Rodriguez, Sonoya Mizuno, and David Gyasi, and will be released on February 23, 2018. It's one of my most anticipated of next year.
I genuinely don't know what to make of this trailer, and trust me, that's a good thing. Over the last few months, internet rumblings have suggested that Garland has delivered something wildly original here, something beyond description. And based on this trailer, Annihilation is going to live up to the hype. This is an excellent teaser trailer, one that doesn't give away too much of the plot, but stunningly conveys both a sense of atmosphere and details the basic narrative structure. For starters, this looks like a completely breathtaking film, bold and striking in its visual choices. But after Ex Machina, that isn't necessarily surprising. Slightly more shocking is Annihilation's seemingly surrealist approach, balancing the iciness of Garland's debut feature with a story that feels like a jaw-dropping riff on Apocalypse Now. This is the kind of original sci-fi fare that I crave, and I'm there for this film on opening day no matter what. After delivering one of the most audaciously compelling directorial debuts in recent memory, it looks like Garland has followed it up with an ambitious, challenging epic that will confound and mystify audiences. I, for one, cannot wait.
Annihilation stars Natalie Portman, Oscar Isaac, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Tessa Thompson, Gina Rodriguez, Sonoya Mizuno, and David Gyasi, and will be released on February 23, 2018. It's one of my most anticipated of next year.
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