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A Study in Dread: Alex Garland’s ‘Annihilation’

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ANNIHILATION, based on the novel by the same name by Jeff VanderMeer, is the sophomore directorial effort of Alex Garland (writer/director of the 2014 sci-fi powerhouse EX MACHINA). In the film, a group of scientists (portrayed with equal brilliance by Natalie Portman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Gina Rodriguez, Tessa Thompson, and Tuva Novotny), venture into a mysterious environment known as “The Shimmer”.

The Shimmer is a miles-wide bubble of eldritch energy, inside of which nature does not follow the natural laws that we would expect. Different species of plants grow on the same vines, and animals go through horrific mutations. Of all the expeditions to enter The Shimmer, no one has come out alive.

That is, of course, until now.

(From Left to Right: Leigh, Portman, Novotny, Thompson, and Rodriguez in ANNIHILATION)

Lena (Portman) is shocked when her husband Kane (Oscar Issac), who has been gone ‘on assignment’ for just over a year, suddenly returns home with no recollection of where he’s been and suffering from a strange and terrible illness. Soon Kane, and by extension Lena, is retrieved by the Southern Reach, the group responsible for studying The Shimmer.

Unsure of how else to help her husband, Lena chooses to join the next expedition into the ever-expanding borders of The Shimmer, with the hopes of finding a way to save his life, and possibly all life, by following in his footsteps.

It is all a fairly standard setup: Main Character must enter Scary Environment to Save the One They Love.

But, like everything in this film, the appearance of normality is deceiving.

Part of the film’s visual brilliance relies on its portrayal of The Shimmer. On the outside, it resembles a beautiful wall of ever-shifting light. Once inside, however, it appears bleak, misty, and almost greasy. The effect is akin to an oil slick, and brings to the film a feeling almost like the effects of seasonal depression.

It is never quite light in The Shimmer, only dim and vaguely humid. In this way, a sense of dread begins to build early, as it seems the beautiful Shimmer was a sort of trap for our characters. Outward appearances have deceived, a major theme for the film as a whole.

The magnificent soundtrack by Ben Salisbury and Geoff Barrow is also worth commending. Salisbury and Barrow weave a kind of quiet, alien horror into every scene with a soundtrack so subtle, at times, and bombastic, at others, it successfully captures the terrible unpredictability of the environment in which the film takes place.

The Shimmer. As viewed from the outside.

I will not specifically detail all of the horrors encountered by Lena and her expedition while inside The Shimmer, as to do so would spoil what succeeds at being a fairly unpredictable film. However, the scares vary wildly between the dizzyingly existential (“Were you me? Was I you?”), and the horrifically visceral (A man is gutted alive, revealing his internal organs to be…wrong).

As their minds unravel, our intrepid scientists find that their bodies are beginning to rebel against them. It is in these scenes that the film’s dark horse, an outstanding Gina Rodriguez, excels. She portrays her character with a kind of manic brutality that can only exist without parody in a film such as this.

While Portman is the obvious standout of the film, Rodriguez may very well be its true, unsung hero. This is especially visible in a simultaneously nail-biting and heart-breaking scene, when her character delivers a series of terrified monologues in lighting reminiscent of Kurtz’s reveal in Apocalypse Now. Her face, surrounded on all-sides by oppressive shadow, is a striking image, and her raw dialogue delivery is truly a sight to behold.

(Gina Rodriguez unnerves in ANNIHILATION)

But, out of every disturbing element in this film, there is one which peaks far above the others: the expedition’s encounter with “the Bear”. The Bear serves as the prime example of what The Shimmer is capable of doing to living organisms. The result is something that is truly unsettling, a kind of half-alive abomination that lurches through the shadows, its very clear agony eclipsed only by its horrific drive to slaughter our quickly-unraveling protagonists, seemingly for little more than sport.

This film utilizes the Bear far better than any mainstream film has handled a monster in recent memory. Indeed, a bold claim could be made that the Bear’s flagship scene is on par with Ridley Scott’s Alien or John Carpenter’s The Thing. It is heavily shadowed, and totally un-glorified. No loud music, no jarring camera movements, no jump-scares. Just pure, unfiltered terror.

It is only in the final act that ANNIHILATION loses some of its momentum. In a way, it is almost as though the film could not live up to its own standards. The first three-fourths of the film successfully build up such a magnificently brutal sense of terror that, in the end, the final confrontation feels…underwhelming.

Garland would have been better served by showing us less, as he did at other times in the film. While his desire for a visually driven, sci-fi ending is commendable, it takes some steam away from what was, until that point, an incredibly successful study in the limits of human dread.

There are other things I could nitpick, of course (such as the coining of the name “The Shimmer” in general, which sounds more at home in a Dystopian Young Adult Novel than a serious sci-fi/horror film), but all of that would be to take away from what could easily be considered a modern science fiction classic, or a great attempt at creating one. No it is not perfect, far from it perhaps, but ANNIHILATION is unique, and bold in that uniqueness.

ANNIHILATION is a trip through a nightmare that you do not want to miss.

 

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New Poster Reveal For Nicolas Cage’s Survival Creature Feature ‘Arcadian’ [Trailer]

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Nicolas Cage Arcadian

In the latest cinematic venture featuring Nicolas Cage, Arcadian emerges as a compelling creature feature, teeming with suspense, horror, and emotional depth. RLJE Films has recently released a series of new images and a captivating poster, offering audiences a glimpse into the eerie and thrilling world of “Arcadian”. Scheduled to hit theaters on April 12, 2024, the film will later be available on Shudder and AMC+, ensuring a wide audience can experience its gripping narrative.

Arcadian Movie Trailer

The Motion Picture Association (MPA) has given this film an “R” rating for its “bloody images,” hinting at the visceral and intense experience awaiting viewers. The film draws inspiration from acclaimed horror benchmarks like “A Quiet Place,” weaving a post-apocalyptic tale of a father and his two sons navigating a desolate world. Following a catastrophic event that depopulates the planet, the family faces the dual challenge of surviving their dystopian environment and eluding mysterious nocturnal creatures.

Joining Nicolas Cage in this harrowing journey are Jaeden Martell, known for his role in “IT” (2017), Maxwell Jenkins from “Lost in Space,” and Sadie Soverall, featured in “Fate: The Winx Saga.” Directed by Ben Brewer (“The Trust”) and penned by Mike Nilon (“Braven”), “Arcadian” promises a unique blend of poignant storytelling and electrifying survival horror.

Maxwell Jenkins, Nicolas Cage, and Jaeden Martell 

Critics have already begun to praise “Arcadian” for its imaginative monster designs and exhilarating action sequences, with one review from Bloody Disgusting highlighting the film’s balance between emotional coming-of-age elements and heart-pounding horror. Despite sharing thematic elements with similar genre films, “Arcadian” sets itself apart through its creative approach and action-driven plot, promising a cinematic experience filled with mystery, suspense, and relentless thrills.

Arcadian Official Movie Poster

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‘Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey 3’ Is a Go with Enhanced Budget and New Characters

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Winnie the Pooh 3

Wow, they’re churning things out fast! The upcoming sequel “Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey 3” is officially moving forward, promising an expanded narrative with a larger budget and the introduction of beloved characters from A.A. Milne’s original tales. As confirmed by Variety, the third installment in the horror franchise will welcome Rabbit, the heffalumps, and the woozles into its dark and twisted narrative.

This sequel is a part of an ambitious cinematic universe that reimagines children’s stories as horror tales. Alongside “Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey” and its first sequel, the universe includes films such as “Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare”, “Bambi: The Reckoning,” and “Pinocchio Unstrung”. These movies are set to converge in the crossover event “Poohniverse: Monsters Assemble,” slated for a 2025 release.

Winnie the Pooh Poohniverse

The creation of these films was made possible when A.A. Milne’s 1926 children’s book “Winnie-the-Pooh” entered the public domain last year, allowing filmmakers to explore these cherished characters in unprecedented ways. Director Rhys Frake-Waterfield and producer Scott Jeffrey Chambers, of Jagged Edge Productions, have led the charge in this innovative endeavor.

The inclusion of Rabbit, heffalumps, and woozles in the upcoming sequel introduces a new layer to the franchise. In Milne’s original stories, heffalumps are imagined creatures resembling elephants, while woozles are known for their weasel-like characteristics and a penchant for stealing honey. Their roles in the narrative remain to be seen, but their addition promises to enrich the horror universe with deeper connections to the source material.

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How to Watch ‘Late Night with the Devil’ from Home: Dates and Platforms

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Late Night With The Devil

For fans eager to dive into one of this year’s most talked-about horror films from the comfort of their own home, “Late Night with the Devil” will be available for streaming exclusively on Shudder starting April 19, 2024. This announcement has been highly anticipated following the film’s successful theatrical release by IFC Films, which saw it earning rave reviews and a record-breaking opening weekend for the distributor.

“Late Night with the Devil” emerges as a standout horror film, captivating audiences and critics alike, with Stephen King himself offering high praise for the 1977-set film. Starring David Dastmalchian, the movie unfolds on Halloween night during a live late-night talk show broadcast that disastrously unleashes evil across the nation. This found footage-style film not only delivers scares but also authentically captures the aesthetic of the 1970s, drawing viewers into its nightmarish scenario.

David Dastmalchian in Late Night with the Devil

The film’s initial box office success, opening to $2.8 million in 1,034 theaters, underscores its wide appeal and marks the highest opening weekend for an IFC Films release. Critically acclaimed, “Late Night with the Devil” boasts a 96% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes from 135 reviews, with the consensus praising it for rejuvenating the possession horror genre and showcasing David Dastmalchian’s exceptional performance.

Rotten Tomatoes score as of 3/28/2024

Simon Rother of iHorror.com encapsulates the film’s allure, emphasizing its immersive quality that transports viewers back to the 1970s, making them feel as if they are part of the eerie “Night Owls” Halloween broadcast. Rother lauds the film for its meticulously crafted script and the emotional and shocking journey it takes viewers on, stating, “This whole experience will have viewers of the Cairnes brothers’ film glued to their screen… The script, from beginning to end, is neatly sewn together with an ending that’ll have jaws on the floor.” You can read the full review here.

Rother further encourages audiences to watch the film, highlighting its multifaceted appeal: “Whenever it is made available to you, you must attempt to view the Cairnes Brothers’ latest project as it will make you laugh, it will creep you out, it will amaze you, and it might even strike an emotional cord.”

Set to stream on Shudder on April 19, 2024, “Late Night with the Devil” offers a compelling blend of horror, history, and heart. This film is not just a must-watch for horror aficionados but for anyone looking to be thoroughly entertained and moved by a cinematic experience that redefines the boundaries of its genre.

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