Catching up: ‘Annihilation” ★★★

By Bob Bloom

As the writer of such science fiction features as “Never Let Me Go,” “Ex-Machina” and, now, “Annihilation,” Alex Garland — like many others — uses the genre to comment on us and our place in the universe.

He also questions what it means to be human and the definition of humanity.

In “Annihilation,” Garland, working from Jeff VanderMeer’s best-selling “Southern Reach Trilogy,” looks at what is life, if it is part of a master plan or simply random — a luck of the draw.

Answers are few, but the journey to seek them is what makes “Annihilation” a compelling and complex movie.

Natalie Portman heads the cast as Lena, a biologist, who is among a team of five women who enter the Shimmer to uncover its meaning and why and how it seems to be expanding over an isolated area of the Southern United States.

Lena also has a personal reason for joining the research team. Her husband, Caine (Oscar Isaac) has unexpectedly returned after being missing for a year. He had led an earlier, failed expedition into the Shimmer and has not been heard from since.

The other members of Lena’s team also have various issues they must face as they experience the Shimmer’s strange and dangerous environment.

Leading the team is Jennifer Jason Leigh’s Dr. Ventress, who is obsessed with discovering the Shimmer’s secrets; Gina Rodriguez’s Anya Thorensen; Tessa Thompson’s Josie Redak; and Tuva Novotny’s Cass Sheppard.

“Annihilation” draws you in, teasing you with hints, but — like many recent science fiction offerings — frustrates audiences by obscuring its answers and cloaking them in ambiguity.

The film’s visuals and technical expertise compensate for the shortcomings in the story and character development.

Still “Annihilation” is worth viewing. It may be a bit maddening, but it is one of those films you will talk about and debate with your friends as you exit the theater.

I am a member of the Indiana Film Journalists Association. My reviews appear at ReelBob (reelbob.com) and Rottentomatoes (www.rottentomatoes.com). I also review Blu-rays and DVDs. I can be reached by email at bobbloomjc@gmail.com or on Twitter @ReelBobBloom. Links to my reviews can be found on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and LinkedIn.

ANNIHILATION
3 stars out of 4
(R), bloody images, language, violence, sexual content