--- title: "Annihilation" year: 2018 kind: "film" canonical: "https://film.one/film/annihilation" fi1m_score: 82 critics_score: 77 critics_reviews: 19 published: "2026-09-17T09:05:12.525608+00:00" updated: "2026-09-17T09:05:12.971976+00:00" region: "US" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Annihilation (2018) Directed by Alex Garland · 1h 55m · MPA R · Science Fiction, Horror **Fi1m score: 82** · Critics 77 from 19 reviews *In a sentence:* A nature walk that makes having a body feel like poor planning > Alex Garland’s science-fiction horror makes a changing forest frightening without losing our curiosity about it. The opening drags and the dialogue can be stiff, but the unease is worth both. ## Synopsis Lena (Natalie Portman) joins an all-female expedition into a mysterious zone where the natural environment is changing. Alongside Dr Ventress (Jennifer Jason Leigh), Anya Thorensen (Gina Rodriguez), Josie Radek (Tessa Thompson) and Cass Sheppard (Tuva Novotny), she enters a forest affected by an unknown force. The women want to understand what is happening inside the zone, but the changing landscape gives them few reliable clues. Their investigation takes them through vegetation that no longer behaves as expected, and brings them up against threats they cannot readily explain. ## Review *Annihilation* is an intelligent, frightening science-fiction film that makes us wait too long to enter its strange forest. Alex Garland sends an all-female expedition into a mutating zone, then lets the uncertainty spread from the surroundings to the people looking at them. The film asks how much of a person can change before she stops being herself, and connects that question to grief and self-destruction. We recommend it warmly, provided a slow opening and some stiff explanatory dialogue are not likely to break the spell. Rob Hardy gives the forest an eerie, phosphorescent colour, making it inviting enough that we understand the urge to investigate. Mark Digby’s production design keeps the changing environment recognisable, so its mutations feel like a disturbance of somewhere that might exist. We were unsettled by the altered vegetation: something so familiar had become difficult to trust. The images hold our attention because we want to look more closely, even when the film has made looking uncomfortable. Natalie Portman plays Lena with a guarded concentration that suits a woman trying to think her way through something frightening. She gives the expedition a practical centre, and keeps the film’s concern with marriage and grief from becoming entirely theoretical. Jennifer Jason Leigh brings a useful severity to Dr Ventress, though the screenplay sometimes makes her sound as if she has arrived with the themes already prepared. Both performances benefit when the women are allowed to observe without explaining. Gina Rodriguez gives Anya Thorensen an impatience that keeps the expedition from becoming a procession of thoughtful faces. Tessa Thompson’s quieter Josie Radek offers a useful contrast, with less effort spent telling us what she feels. Alex Garland’s screenplay does not give every woman equal room, and some of their personal pain is explained too briskly. Even so, the cast keeps us concerned about the women when the strange scenery could easily take all our attention. Barney Pilling’s editing is patient enough to let the unease build, and that patience pays off once the expedition is under way. Before then, the preparation feels protracted, with the film spending too much effort establishing how seriously it expects to be taken. Geoff Barrow and Ben Salisbury’s music helps sustain the discomfort through the quieter passages; it makes the images harder to settle into. The score works because it offers little reassurance between one scare and the next. As expedition horror, *Annihilation* has enough physical danger to satisfy without asking us to solve anything. Its more disturbing idea is that the people entering this place already have reasons to mistrust themselves. The bodily horror gives that anxiety a physical form, although some of the talk about it is needlessly solemn. There is room here for scientific curiosity, revulsion and wonder, and the film becomes more absorbing when it allows those responses to coexist without explaining them. The later stretches become more willing to leave us with images we cannot immediately explain. That will frustrate anyone expecting the mystery to be tidied away, but the uncertainty feels earned by the world we have been shown. It helps that Alex Garland keeps the possibility of discovery alive alongside the threat. Choose it when there is time afterwards to sit with something troubling, rather than when sleep is the immediate plan. *Fi1m score 82, published 17 September 2026.* ## What the critics say Most critics respond warmly to Annihilation, praising Alex Garland’s blend of science fiction, body horror and ideas about grief and self-destruction. The strongest agreement concerns the strange, dreamlike imagery and the sustained unease of the expedition into the unknown. Several reviews also praise the all-female ensemble, particularly Natalie Portman. Admirers find the film intellectually ambitious without losing its capacity to frighten, and welcome its willingness to become more abstract in its final stretch. The spread of opinion is wide, though outright rejection is rare. Reservations concern character depth, the opening’s pace and whether the themes receive enough exploration. The New York Times admires the world-building but finds the setup cumbersome and the protagonist emotionally thin; /Film likewise wants more depth beneath the imagery. The i Paper is the clearest dissenter, finding the plot implausible, the dialogue leaden and the seriousness unearned despite some visual interest. ### Reviews we read (19) - **The Telegraph** (5/5): An exhilarating and terrifying achievement with rich, dreamlike imagery and a blood-freezing vision of human consciousness under threat in its risk-taking final act. [Read](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/0/alex-garlands-latest-chilling-vision-human-consciousness-threat/) - **The Hollywood Reporter**, Todd McCarthy (90/100, inferred): The critic calls the film a ferocious, feral, female-centric update of monster classics like The Thing and Alien. He singles out Garland’s unerring hand in building unease about the unknown force in the forest and the striking, elegantly eerie visuals created with cinematographer Rob Hardy. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/annihilation-review-1085770/) - **Radio Times**, Ben Allen (85/100, inferred): Annihilation is a brilliant existentialist genre piece that builds a typical sci-fi premise into something unique and delivers a massive, gut-punch pay-off in its final act. The critic singles out the film's exploration of consciousness and core human anxieties for particular praise. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/sci-fi/annihilation-netflix-review/) - **Variety**, Peter Debruge (Critics Pick): A beguiling, female-driven sci-fi/horror head-scratcher that is visually stunning and imagination-tickling, achieving the rare feat of great genre cinema by expanding viewers’ minds while delivering scares and beauty. [Read](https://variety.com/2018/film/reviews/annihilation-review-natalie-portman-1202706321/) - **Empire**, Jonathan Pile (80/100, inferred): Garland has crafted an intelligent film that tackles weighty issues like depression, grief and self-destruction through an all-female expedition into a mysterious zone, blending cerebral sci-fi with body horror and strong performances. It is sci-fi at its best, confirming Garland as one of the most accomplished directors working today. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/annihilation-review/) - **Little White Lies**, Adam Woodward (4/4/4): Garland delivers a visually stunning, coolly affecting allegory for life, loss and human fallibility. The critic singles out the film's profound beauty and complexity, including its haunting dance sequence. [Read](https://lwlies.com/reviews/annihilation) - **Los Angeles Times**, Justin Chang (80/100, inferred): Garland’s movie is a remarkable, skillful sophistication of a B-thriller template that welds genre mechanics with ideas and features a hypnotic final half-hour of cosmic images, though it bears the industry’s flawed imprint in its casting. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-annihilation-review-20180221-story.html) - **Screen Daily** (80/100, inferred): Able to generate dread and awe with equal skill, Annihilation is an absorbing amalgam of genres that produces a dazzling creation. The critic highlights its beautifully sustained mood, bracing intelligence, and Natalie Portman's gritty performance as it explores grief, marriage, death and environmental catastrophe. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/annihilation-review/5126923.article) - **The Times** (4/5): An audacious sci-fi horror purpose-built for the big screen, with a dreamlike phosphorescent world and visuals that challenge classics like 2001, though it was dumped to Netflix. [Read](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/tv-radio/article/film-review-annihilation-2g68gqcx8) - **Time Out**, Joshua Rothkopf (4/5): A visually rapturous and sometimes unsettling sci-fi that derives from serious source material and explores grand concepts of self-destruction and rebirth. The critic praises Garland's creeping, molecular pace and the way the film invites viewers to open their minds despite its unsettling changes. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/annihilation) - **Film Comment**, Michael Sragow (70/100, inferred): Garland delivers a hypnotic and pulse-quickening ecological parable that merges sleek conceptual art with messy drama through an all-female team's mission into a mutating zone. The critic singles out the film's refracting of the source material, especially the climactic mirroring pas de deux and its playful ambiguity evoking Tarkovsky and Kubrick while remaining original. [Read](https://www.filmcomment.com/blog/deep-focus-annihilation/) - **The Guardian**, Peter Bradshaw (70/100, inferred): The film is an exciting if imperfect genre success that shifts from science-driven sci-fi into horror-thriller territory before settling on a more poetic and mood-based approach in its ambitious final section. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2018/mar/18/annihilation-alex-garland-natalie-portman-review) - **The New York Times**, Manohla Dargis (60/100, inferred): The film tells an enigmatic tale of love, death, and alien invasion with strong visuals and world-building, but the setup is fumbled with too much narrative throat-clearing and the protagonist lacks soul. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/22/movies/annihilation-review-natalie-portman-oscar-isaac.html) - **The i Paper**, Michael Day (30/100, inferred): The film features interesting visuals but is undermined by a ludicrous plot, leaden dialogue and portentous self-importance, with nonsense science that fails to compensate for its flaws. It is better than some straight-to-streaming duds but ultimately disappointing. [Read](https://inews.co.uk/culture/film/annihilation-netflix-review-natalie-portman-alex-garland-134401) - **Collider**, Haleigh Foutch (A-): The critic finds Annihilation a surreal stunner and wildly ambitious film that is a meticulously prepared feast for the eyes and mind. She singles out Garland's gorgeous capture of intrigue and terror through spectacular, disquietingly familiar yet otherworldly exploration. [Read](https://collider.com/annihilation-review-natalie-portman/) - **Deadline**, Pete Hammond (85/100, inferred): The critic finds Alex Garland's film a smart, scary sci-fi journey into the unknown that blends thrills, gore and intellect without sacrificing either. It is praised for its strong performances, particularly Natalie Portman's, and its thoughtful pacing and style. [Read](https://deadline.com/2018/02/annihilation-review-natalie-portman-gina-rodriguez-alex-garland-tessa-thompson-1202298259/) - **Den of Geek**, David Crow (4/5): Garland crafts a perceptive, ambitious, and kaleidoscopic sci-fi character study about self-destructive impulses amid an ecological disaster, with strong performances from an all-female cast. The critic singles out its beauty, melancholy, and challenging third act as a shimmering art installation, while noting some stumbles that may limit its audience. [Read](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/annihilation-review/) - **The Wrap**, Robert Abele (80/100, inferred): The critic describes the film as an elegantly unsettling psychological mystery with environmental and alien elements that delivers mind-bending sci-fi entertainment along with an empowering all-female cast. It is singled out for its ambitious blend of horror, philosophy and visual spectacle. [Read](https://www.thewrap.com/annihilation-film-review-natalie-portman/) - **/Film**, Karen Han (7/10): The critic finds it a mesmerizing nightmare that doesn't dig deep enough, praising the elegant, strange, and dreamlike imagery while complaining that themes and character elements are not explored sufficiently. [Read](https://www.slashfilm.com/556466/annihilation-review/) ## Details - **Director:** Alex Garland - **Director:** Alex Garland - **Screenplay:** Alex Garland - **Novel:** Jeff VanderMeer - **Cinematography:** Rob Hardy - **Editor:** Barney Pilling - **Music:** Ben Salisbury, Geoff Barrow - **Production design:** Mark Digby - **Costume design:** Sammy Sheldon - **Producer:** Andrew Macdonald, Allon Reich, Scott Rudin - **Cast:** Natalie Portman as Lena; Jennifer Jason Leigh as Dr Ventress; Gina Rodriguez as Anya Thorensen; Tessa Thompson as Josie Radek; Tuva Novotny as Cass Sheppard; Oscar Isaac as Kane; Benedict Wong as Lomax; Sonoya Mizuno as Humanoid / Katie (Med Student) - **Runtime:** 1h 55m - **Certificate (MPA):** R - **Release (the US):** 23 February 2018 - **Genres:** Science Fiction, Horror - **Budget:** $40 million - **Box office:** $43 million - **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89OP78l9oF0 ## Where to watch in the US - Apple TV: add-on, uhd - Amazon Prime Video: add-on, uhd - The Roku Channel: add-on, hd - Apple TV: rent $3.99, hd - Amazon Prime Video: rent $3.99, uhd - Apple TV: buy $14.99, hd - Amazon Prime Video: buy $14.99, uhd *Checked 2026-09-17.* Also available in: AE, AR, AT, AU, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HK, HU, IE, IN, IT, JP, KR, LT, MX, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PH, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SG, TH, TR, UA, US, VN. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country. ## If you liked this - *Stalker* (1979), Fi1m 86: Another expedition into a forbidden zone, with more waiting and fewer reassurances. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/stalker.md) - *Picnic at Hanging Rock* (1975): An unfamiliar landscape unsettles a group whose ordinary certainties offer little protection. - *The Thing* (1982): For bodily unease and the exhausting business of deciding whom to trust. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-thing.md) - *Under the Skin* (2013): Alien encounters made frightening through patient observation and an unnervingly spare approach. - *Cure* (1997): A patient investigation that makes ordinary encounters feel increasingly unsafe. --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/annihilation