Alex Garland & ANNIHILATION
After EX MACHINA, his 2nd feature is my most anticipated movie of 2017
Alex Garland is an extraordinary writer. Having been around for years as a screenwriter, he finally made the jump to Director with last years EX MACHINA.
I loved EX MACHINA. AI and the consequences of such has always fascinated me; I thought the casting was impeccable Alicia Vikander in particular (she didn’t win the Oscar for THE DANISH GIRL). Garland himself also showed maturity in his direction, picking his shots with confidence that most only show with much more experience; case in point look at how the camera is positioned in the interview scenes with Ava and how it changes throughout the film.
At this moment in time he is tackling Jeff Vandermeer’s ANNIHILATION, the first instalment in his SOUTHERN REACH TRILOGY. Without going into spoilers (honestly, read the books, you’ll thank me), the series deals with science fiction elements which we haven’t really seen on screen since the 70s.
In terms of influences on the film, the only movie that has been quoted as a source of inspiration is Andrei Tarkovsky’s STALKER. This is very telling as his 1979 film, confronts psychology, stark imagery pierces the screen, showing a story that affects the viewer long after it’s over. Which is exciting, as the source material perfectly compliments this.
I point you towards The Film Stage, where they have compiled all the Instagram photos from the set:
It stars Natalie Portman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Gina Rodriguez, Tessa Thompson, David Gyasi and Oscar Isaac.
Here’s the synopsis, courtesy of IMDB:
A biologist signs up for a dangerous, secret expedition where the laws of nature don’t apply.
ANNIHILATION comes out in the U.K. in 2017
