That bear scene is the only scene I saw in theaters where I actively looked away form the screen. Something mixed with the design of the bear and the terrifying aspect of it mimicking the last screams of its prey just got me. One of the scariest movie monsters hands down.
@@napostrophen More than that, if you look on the left brow of the bear, there is a partial human skull sharing the orbital bone with the bear skull, teeth and all. The bear had spliced in human Cassie's DNA and had developed similar physiological traits with Cassie specifically, hence the identical voice.
Such an awesome mind-bending film, with terrific terror to boot! I wish there were more movies like this, not so much the mind melting adventure but the way people can make normal function become alien. Like the bear with a human skull attached to it with the victim's voice, the flower-deer, and the shark-o-dile. Super creepy, but also fulfills that desire for creativity.
There is a theme as to why they're all women, in fact they said why minutes before you talked about it. The previous missions were military and were teams of men so now they're trying a team of women instead.
This is what cosmic horror is supposed to be. The alien is so alien that it’s completely beyond the capacity of our primitive ape brains to make sense of what they’re seeing. It warps our reality with it’s mere presence and all we can do is stare at it while our natural curiosity battles our fear of the unknown.
If Lovecraft was alive today to see this, he'll be proud to see people achieved to make a way to create otherworldly visuals he could only imagine through his writings.
💀💀 the girl with red-ish hair already is scared of crocodiles and when the guy with the heart for cinema said "just a crocodile" ... she went What do u mean it's just a crocodile. Man i love watching while zooted ❤ keep up the good work
They were saying at the table when they all met for the first time, its all scientist women because so far its all just been military teams, presumably male military teams. Just switching to see if anything different happens.
I do think the copy died, but Lena is forever changed by having been in the shimmer. The tattooo that formed on her came from one of the other members of her team originally. The shimmer was just grabbing stuff and mixing it all together, and randomly splicing those features into everything that was inside it, with items close to each other getting the most sharing (hence the bear that tore out the woman's throat getting her voice). I personally believe that, ultimately, Lena brought the shimmer out with her -- when she stood right next to the heart of it and stared into it, it became part of her. I think her husband was a copy, but she was somehow infused with its essence while still remaining mostly herself. The only real question is why she survived when no one else did, but that might just be a device to show us that in the end, it's not the end -- the shimmer goes on, the alien is among us.
I think the bear and every other being inside survived too and idk if they managed to control the area... birds an bugs might definitely get out into the world.
@@changsangma1915 I think once the Shimmer's field / Area X is gone, the mutations are no longer possible (and thus won't spread to the world). But then again I don't know much about this movie so maybe you're right
One ending explanation that I love most : Notice when alien is copying Lena, first it mirrors her every action. But as it turns more human, background music changes from synth to human and the alien also shows signs of independent action as he doesn't mirror her every action but still copying her thoughts and personality. That's why its palm is reversed as it accepts the grenade. Why did it do that? Because she was suicidal, depressed and guilt ridden over cheating on Oscar (which led to his death as he took the mission to go away) and alien accidentally copied her biggest trait : to burn her own house down! Hence the main alien doesn't bother with fire and instead of running or extinguishing the fire, goes into the deepest part of his layer. "Isn't self destruction coded into us?" Her cheating saved the world, woohoo. Just one interpretation ofcourse! Also I believe in the ending, Oscar was a copy and Natalie was a mutation.
That's interesting but problem I have with that theory is that for me the alien doesn't have any motivation. It just is what it is. Mixing up everything it comes into contact with. Sometimes beautifully, sometimes horrifically. But that measure is completely subjective. With this expedition into Area X, the team is revealed to be self-destructive and our biggest flaws become the biggest asset to destroy the shimmer. Kane having a southern accent and Lena having Anyas tattoo are physical manifestations of that, and we also get their monologues that they thenselves don't even know who or what they are anymore because their minds are also spliced as well.
@@brooklynnewyork23 At the end of the day, it doesn't matter if Lena is a copy or not because the point is that she is no longer the same person anyway. She and Isaac are both irreversibly and forever changed by their experiences and metaphorically didn't survive.
I didn't latch onto this on my first viewing, but my theory is similar to yours, except that the trait it copied from Lena was her desire to destroy the Shimmer. As one of the characters observed earlier, "Ventress wants to face it, you [Lena] want to fight it." But that can still go hand-in-hand with Lena's own self-destructiveness and guilt.
Yea, it's the old War-of-the-Worlds-trope, which doesn't even feel cliche when it's done well like it is here. Apparently humanity sucks so bad this thing unalived itself in the end really
Apparently the film had some behind the scenes drama between David Ellison of Skydance who co-financed the film with Paramount and Scott Rudin the producer of the film during a test screening in the Summer of 2017. Ellison became concerned that the movie was “too intellectual” and “too complicated,” and wanted changes made to make it appeal to a wider audience which included making Portman’s character more sympathetic as well as tweaking the ending. Rudin on the other hand who was Alex Garland’s cheerleader and also produced _Ex Machina,_ sided with Garland, defending the movie and refused to take notes. Paramount who was caught in the middle of the conflict eventually decided to sold the international distribution rights to Netflix where it was streamed instead of being released to theaters while Paramount retained the theatrical rights in the US and Canada and China where the film underperformed at the box office. I would love if all four of you would react to _Ex Machina_ on the channel which was also directed by Alex Garland and starring Oscar Isaac who appeared in _Annihilation_
This is one of those movies where it's best to look at from a poetic, metaphorical lens instead of a science fiction "this is how it works" lens. It's a vibes movie, not a lore movie. The shimmer is unknowable, incomprehensible, a true eldritch being. It doesn't even seem to seek harm, it just is, and it is incompatible with us. It rejects understanding. But above all it's metaphor. Annihilation is its title. Self-destruction. Change. Trauma. Cancer. Grief. Death. Almost everything in this movie has a double meaning that tie into its themes. As Dan Olsen says in his fantastic video "Annihilation and Decoding Metaphor", which I highly recommend, "in this movie, metaphorical IS textual".
Focusing on lore ruins cosmic horror. Its the sense of dread and things aren't right. It's the Monty Hall problem but it's infected all of reality. Plotting out C'thulu's family tree ruins it.
You nailed it. The Shimer IS the being. People seem to think the mimic is an entity, alien or living thing. It isn't. It's a complicated duplication of Lena created by her interaction with the source of the Shimer.
My favorite part about the bear scene is that the bear isn’t using Cass’ last words intentionally. It doesn’t know what syllables are words together and what order they go in. It’s just using the sounds without any context, screaming the ‘me’ out of ‘help me’ and using her screams intermixed. It’s just a creature ultimately, even if it held a shard of her voice in the moment of her death. That’s just terrifying to me. Like Josie said, Cass died in fear and pain and that was the only thing that survived her death. Nothing about her intelligence and kindness in life.
@@LangkeeLongkeethat’s true! they didn’t have any concept of what they were doing particularly , just following their natural path. I’m sure the bear didn’t mean to absorb Cass’ last impression, surely just being a victim of the refractions.
I have to say it is really refreshing how empathetic you all are to the different characters, as opposed to others judging or hating on them and making fun the entire time.😊
56:21 You're not missing it, Stella. You're spot-on here. The movie *_doesn't_* give any clues to "solve" what's going on. There are things in it to understand at an intellectual level, but more importantly there are things there to understand on an emotional level. It's about the loss of self, through physical destruction, mental destruction, escape from who you are or acceptance that you're never going to be the same, for whatever reason. Essentially, the entire movie is a metaphor for that loss of self.
one of the important clues is the ouroboros tattoo. Ouroboros is a gnostic and alchemical symbol that expresses the unity of all things, material and spiritual, which never disappear but perpetually change form in an eternal cycle of destruction and re-creation.
I love how much better this film is on a second watch. Little details like the fact that the bear scene takes place in a house that is identical to Lena’s, that’s why she looks confused when she walks in and checks the art on the walls. It's her house, just mutated. It’s a copy, an emulation, but it’s not quite there. Also the bear has a human skull growing out of the side of its own, sharing an eye. Neat touches to drive home the theme.
This is my favorite alien movie by far, because it's SO alien. Such perfect cosmic horror. And I agree, the imagery alone would make it worth the watch. Beautiful, horrific, fascinating. I also loved how deeply you engaged with the movie in your reaction, thank you for that.
I've always found the ending ot this movie weirdly comforting. The original couple (possibly standing in for humanity in general?) failed miserably in its propensity for self-destruction. Maybe the alien clone Adam and Eve will do better.
the alien is trying to emulate their feelings and emotions so they are "themselves" but not themselves. I think the takeaway is that self destructive tendencies are part of human nature, and it's inevitable within everyone. Natalie Portman's character destroyed the crystal hive so maybe the shimmer stopped spreading. but Natalie and her husband are stuck as half formed alien chameleons of themselves forever. A scar from going into the shimmer willingly (sui****)
My theory is that when we lose track of the alien, when we perceive "her" coming out of the hole, we switch perspectives. The alien is then shown trying to prevent her from leaving. That is actually the original, but she looks alien to the new "her". When she fully understands this, she accepts her old self is too injured and must die so the new self can live the way her original husband did, while he was talking to his new self.
Neat theory, and it does explain the alien being out of the hole before her. But I think there's the issue of the shimmer being destroyed. If the original her died and the copy lived how was the shimmer destroyed? Her husband died and the copy left but the shimmer remained. I'm pretty sure the reason it disappeared is the alien inherited her suicidal thoughts and desire to destroy the shimmer, and so spread the phosphorous to the shimmer's heart (the whole chamber Ventress was found in) and killed it. Also, the alien copy has awkward, slightly delayed movements early on while it's still learning to mimic her. If what we see as the alien was the original, why would she be imitating the alien instead of trying to run away?
That's kinda the point tho innit. I hate when people HAVE to ascribe some meaning to everything in a piece of art. The best art has no meaning, it just makes you feel a certain way
Its cosmic horror. Thats how it is supposed to be. Lovecraft made it a point to say they are beyond human understanding. The genre is based on that central point! You are not an idiot.
Your not an idiot. Not even the writers understand the movie. The people who say they do just want to sound cool and feel like they are in some kind of smart peoples club.
If you notice and re watch the bear scene, there’s a human skull fused on the right side of its face. It almost has a semi formed eye ball in it as well. Almost as if it absorbed Cass before she died
The ending is tough to understand but essentially she’s no the same Lena from the beginning. Technically she’s the original but she’s mutated beyond what she was in the begin of the movie. All in all, the movie was a great adaptation from the book but the book is definitely more terrifying than the movie. Then entire lighthouse became an actual living and breathing life form. It was actually insane getting through all of it.
The disturbing part of the movie wasn't the monsters it was the motivations for each person getting to a point in their lives where the damage was too great to bare. I once heard a story told by a young women who had severe emotional damage. She was married and gave into the flirtations of a co-worker and had a physical affair. The guilt was eating her alive and she knew she had to confess her betrayal to her husband but before she could, he confronted her with the evidence of her affair. She described the pain on his face and the emotions behind his eyes. He calmly got up and walked out of the house and three days later he committed suicide. His family wouldn't even tell her where he was buried. She was trying to live with the fact that she did this, she destroyed their lives. Like the movie character Leana did. She can never have peace, never have closure. It's the worm that never dies. That's the disturbing part of the movie.
Stella's high pitched squeak: "What do you mean it's just a crocodile?"🐊 Lol me too. The bear! 😱 It's one of the scariest things I've ever seen. The dread and horror, omg. The screams 😫 Traumatizing.
I wonder how much of what happened inside the shimmer with all expeditions (prior and the protagonist's) reflected the fact it was probably treated like suicide mission by everybody involved, crews and people sending them alike. Because who would volunteer for a mission like that? Only a person who has nothing to return to in first place. That's imho why Kane volunteered to go "right now"; he learned of his wife cheating. To me that's an answer to the question asked by the interrogator, why she's first and only to return: Natalie Portman's character found herself in the camp involuntarily and her own death wasn't on her mind at all. She simply was the only one wanting to return.
The Screaming Bear reminds me of the giant killer mutant bear Katahdin from the 1979 environmental horror thriller PROPHECY, where an EPA scientist and his wife discover animals in Maine being mutated from 20 years of industrial pollution.
YES! I remember PROPHECY, I was 11 years old and actually read the novel version back then. That mutant bear has STILL remained in my brain all these years later, I can't help but wonder if the makers of this film referenced it.
I really got into the math, biology, landscapes, and aesthetics of fractals, so that was my lens watching this. Also, the books of Stanislaw Lem (Polish sci-if) who wrote alien/worlds as truly alien and ultimately impossible to fully understand.
From a Polish perspective: the American adaptation actually understands the novel better (and apparently Lem preferred it - he never saw the complete Tarkovsky movie and he called Soderbergh's vision "complete") There is also an earlier Soviet tv adaptation, which is probably the most faithful... on a Soviet tv theatre budget.@@Heritage367
@@Heritage367 Same! It's one of the few times where different approaches to the same story both worked so well. Soderbergh's version is worth it for the music alone.
YES! I'm so happy you decided to check this one out! This IS my favourite cosmic horror movie. It might not all make sense from a scientific point but rather from a psychological and philosophical point of view. It's very metaphoric, especially at the end. Alex Garland himself said that this is a story about self destruction. And that's why Lena was able to "defeat" the creature, because it copied her and she kinda passed her self destructive traits on to the mimic. There is a lot more going on beneath the surface of the story, most of it is told by visuals and not in dialogue. The studio wanted Garland to change the movie because it was "too intellectual" but I'm glad they didn't do it because it's very thought provoking as it is. As a result - it didn't get a theatrical release in a lot of countries though. Sadly. I would have loved to see that in the cinema. I think this is a very underrated piece of art and I hope people will appreciate it more over time. Especially in this time of recycled ideas, remakes, reboots and sequels.
Worth noting this is James and Nobu’s first Horror movie reaction in 8-10 months as Nobu’s last horror movie he reacted was _Scream_ and James last horror film reaction was _Barbarian_ and throughout the first 6 months of 2023 it was the Girls (Hailey and Stella) that did the reactions to the Horror films. I definitely would like to see James and Nobu do more Horror films reactions on the channel.
I did a paper in college on this movie. The main focus was to try and define what the alien was, where it came from, motivations, needs, etc. I really picked a hard movie for that assignment but it was absolutely worth it 😂
I read the books first so obligatory “the books are better” but this is an excellent film. It’s an incredible interpretation and I feel should stand alone as a separate piece of art. Mainly because an enormously important physical structure, journey, and character development take place in the books that just doesn’t happen in the movie, but I couldn’t have really been put in the movie anyway. Hence my feelings.
This movie blew my mind when I first saw it! It's so beautiful and the whole cell division, cancer and existentialism thing had me philosophizing for a while! I mostly get caught up this: in cell division the mother cell becomes two daughter cells, implying in some way that the mother cell is 'lost'. What if when you enter the shimmer, you get lost in that way? Like you're still you until you are not anymore, if that makes sense. A cell in division is still that cell until it is two cells. And those cells are kind of the same, but not? I could go on for hours about this movie, it's so amazing!
The bear was for sure the most terrifying scene but the realization at the end that her husband in the beginning may not actually be the original is haunting lol
@45:43 Totally random intrusive thought, but at this point in the video, the way "Oh my gosh!" was said reminded me of the way Jennifer Coolidge said, "Oh my God! You look like the Fourth of July...." in Legally Blonde 2.
Love this movie, a truly unique alien is hard to come by in sci-fi and it makes this movie special. An alien that is in contant change and mutation, it trys to mimic, it ends up annilating itself because it changed beyond its own ability to control. Leta has become like the alien, part herself and part everything that was in the shimmer.
Annihilation is VERY CLEARLY based on H.P. Lovecraft's 'The Color Out Of Space'. It's a VERY slightly different version of the same story. It's ALMOST setup like a sequel to a parallel event. 'The Color' takes place in Lovecraft Country (in Massachusetts). 'Annihilation' takes place in Florida. So it's kinda like 2 separate "alien colors" came down in separate places. The one in Lovecraft Country wasn't left alone, so stuff went crazy fast on a smaller more local scale. The one is Florida was out in the middle of nowhere and allowed to fester and spread and get worse for a long time, and Annihilation is sort of the aftermath. 'The Color Out Of Space' was also recently adapted into a movie with Nic Cage. It's fucking insane. I recommend checking that one out too. You'll see what I mean. If you squint, you can almost treat this movie as a prequel to Moon Knight and Thor:Love & Thunder. As if this is why Marc Spector is insane, and why Jane got sick. lol The director, Alex Garland is a goddamn genius. The directorial credit for Dredd ON PAPER goes to some other guy, but it is lowkey fairly well known and understood that Alex Garland was the REAL director of Dredd, and that Dredd was his directorial debut. Between Dredd, Ex Machina, and Annihilation, Alex Garland has one of the most insanely high quality track records out of any director ever.
In fact, it drinks TOO much from the STALKER saga, be it the games, the movie or the Roadside Picnic novel. Moreover, in an interview with the author, he contradicted himself when asked if he knew Stalker or Picnic, and said he did not know them, but another previous interview, he said he did, which leads many to believe that there was some plagiarism. Obviously, the brother who was still alive at the time, Boris Strugaski, did not care, and on the contrary he was flattered by the "inspiration". And yes, obviously, Picnic has its recognized inspiration from Lovecraft.
@@theCatastrophe3030 It may pretend to, but it's a version of 'The Color Out Of Space'. I haven't read the book, but everyone says the movie is only vaguely related to the book. So... 🤷♂ I have no comment on the book. Maybe that's a knock-off of 'The Color Out Of Space too for all I know. Or maybe it's not. The movie however is undeniably VERY directly a version of 'The Color Out Of Space'. Anyone who says otherwise is either unfamiliar with the material or intentionally full of shit.
@@CapitalExpression It may pretend to, but it's a version of 'The Color Out Of Space'. I haven't read the book, but everyone says the movie is only vaguely related to the book. So... 🤷♂ I have no comment on the book. Maybe that's a knock-off of 'The Color Out Of Space too for all I know. Or maybe it's not. The movie however is undeniably VERY directly a version of 'The Color Out Of Space'. Anyone who says otherwise is either unfamiliar with the material or intentionally full of shit.
Reminds me on Tarkovsky's dystopian classic "Stalker" (1979) which I rewatch every couple of years. Also, a famous videogame "S.T.A.L.K.E.R". There's this "zone" after a meteorite impact, and it's full of traps. Entering it is forbidden but "stalkers" illegally smuggle people into it because there's an idea that within the Zone there's a room that figures out and makes your deepest wish come true. Stalker's daughter is a mutant and does telekinesis. So, anyway, this parallels "Stalker" as well as "Colour Out Of Space".
It is that the author of the Southern Reach trilogy, a little bit that he let it be seen that he copied or was inspired by Roadside Picnic. It wouldn't have been wrong for him to do so, since when Boris Strugasky, the only one of the Picnic brothers still alive, was asked, he took it as a compliment to be copied. But, Jeff VanderMeer, the author of Annihilation in a couple of interviews contradicted himself, which for many, makes it clear that there was some kind of copy. And although both stories may seem the same on the surface, in their plots they are different enough. On the other hand, the Zone in the games, and in the novel, is not created from the fall of a meteorite. In the games, I won't mention it so as not to give spoilers. But in the novel, there is no right or exact answer. It is presumed, by the most widespread or most logical theory by scientists, that it was a visit of very, very, very, very advanced aliens. The "reality" is that there is no exact or unique origin for the creation of the Zone, because it is something that defies human logic.
While this isn't like, a scene for scene adaptation the way Dune feels for a lot of folks, I think it thematically still keeps the spirit of the first book, though that trilogy gets weirder and weirder as it goes on. Something that's irritated me is people getting upset about Natalie being cast in the role of what is an asian character in the books. But here's the thing, the first book goes out of its way to make sure there are no identifying features of any of the characters. Everyone is known by their profession/specialty. You don't find out the main character's background or even name until the second book. And when the movie was being made, the second and third books weren't out yet. The Southern Reach series though feels more like a weird blend of Lost (the show) and Control (the game), but with its own aesthetic and story
It's interesting seeing all these people say the bear scene was super scary because the scene that i found the most scary and unsettling was Lena trying to get out of the lighthouse.
The point is that they both had to come back to eachother. He had to come back to her, but he came back as a copy, and she destroyed it the copier, but absorbed some of the ladies she ventured in there with during her time.
Such a beautiful film. Blew my mind the first time I watched it. I love the ambiguity, the questioning of what we deem our identity to be composed of. Really loved your quizzical commentary ;-0 You must check out EXISTENZ (1999) which also stars Jennifer Jason Leigh who played Dr Ventress. Another beautiful and strange sci-fi horror.
I watched that movie when it came out and was very excited to learn about Cronenberg's take on the emergent gamer culture. A very new concept at the time. The movie didn't disappoint.
@@CanalTremocos Yes, very ahead of his time. I particularly like his use of bioports which surely can't be that far off, given the speed at which VR, prosthetics and AI seem to progress😁 Not sure I am ready to fully integrate myself with biological material just yet, though 😳😳😳
Annihilation is the definition of "not for everyone". But it was for me, and I've watched it several times to try and unravel its mysteries. Rare movie that, like The Exorcist or Sin City, features a unique collaboration between and author and filmmaker, and likewise produced a singular and special result
This movie was phenomenal ngl, don’t care what anyone says. It left such an imprint on my mind I literally went out and bought the trilogy of books to know how the rest of the story plays out, would recommend.
For those who don’t understand about the bear seen, when it ate Casses throat it ate her larynx which contains humans vocal cords it then reconstructed it’s DNA with of her DNA (that’s why there is a human skull on the bears right side)while it remembered her last screams for help before she was killed to also use as bait for the others. (Hoped this was helpful to anyone who was confused)
I don't think the bear intentionally used her voice for bait I think it was just existing and making sounds. Like I don't think the alien meant to kill them either its just dangerous as it is.
The best way to explain what was happening: imagine there’s a table full of two liter sodas. All different flavors, some sodas even off brands of official flavors. Now imagine there’s a robot who is mixing the flavors, half and half. Some liters are filled up full half and half, and then mixed with another bottle. New flavors are being made over time and new mixes are suddenly in bottles that were empty. None of those bottles will never be filled to two liters, and those that are, aren’t 100% what was originally in the bottle to begin with. Lena was coke, slowly mixing with other flavors over time, changing her even though she’s the same person. Shes like one of those bottles, you might be able to taste an original flavor, but something new is mixed in forever now. Cane is different. Cane is all the off brand sodas being combined, trying to copy an official flavor. Cane was Dr.Pepper. The Cane at the end of the movie was Dr.D, Dr. PHD, it was Dr. Whatever, trying to be the original taste everyone else knows best. But it’s not really Dr. Pepper.
She got "down on its level" so that she had a straight shot into the 'gator's mouth, the place where it is least armored and therefore most vulnerable to gunfire.
The book really blew my mind I didn't know someone could write like that, the film tried but I read Alex Garland got shafted and wasn't able to make the film he wanted to
Good reaction guys, i recommended you guys this movie like 5 years ago, finally the day has arrived lol. This movie was great bc it leaves you equally intrigued and disturbed and you keep thinking about it days (weeks?) after. Hope you guys check out more Cosmic Horror (Event Horizon, The Empty Man, The Color Out of Space) and Space Horror (Apollo 18, Life). Also the "No one will save you" movie that just came its so good, you'll enjoy it.
This is meant to be inexplicable and foreign. The 'being' isn't even a creature, or the shimmer, or the mutations, it is just something that happens. My take is that the meteorite caused a manifestation of a higher dimension. The 'Kaleidoscope" is like a 3d approximation of a 4 dimensional existence, just like a 2d shadow is an approximation of a 3d object. It's like a 3d shadow, and its mere existence distorts light, matter and time altogether. PS. You guys missed the impossible refraction on the glass of water at the beginning of the movie. when Lena and Kane touch hands from behind the glass, the reflection moves sideways in a weird way, only possible if his fingers detach and meld into her hand. Very subtle and open to interpretation, just like the rest of the movie.
@48:00 You're close! My own take on this moment of the movie is that a being capable of willing itself to self-destruct "teaches" an alien being, which does NOT know self-destruction, only self-duplication...like a tumor...Leena gives the alien a new knowledge it did not previously have. That's why it didn't "want" anything. It's a wild, wild meditation on our innermost natures, and not just us either, but life itself: why does it seem "programmed" within every biological lifeform to be capable of destroying itself? THAT is why Ventress picked these team members: **they are all self-sabatoging people.** Kane decided to go on a suicide mission when he realized his wife was cheating on him. What are ways we, even the seemingly healthiest & sanest of us, slowly sabotage ourselves? Meanwhile the alien is a being that does not seem to know what annihilation even is. But in turn, this makes life into a malignant force, neverending, always growing...so, does life *need* annihilation? I don't think there's been a star-studded sci-fi movie as brilliant as this one since "Children of Men." And, I also (personally!) like this movie better than the novel it's adapted from.
You know a movie is good when there's lots of discussion and exchange of ideas and theories after the movie ends. Sometimes we want a clear narrative but sometimes we want a movie that makes our mind hurt trying to figure it out 😅😅😅😅😅
I really love when it's the four of you, it feels like I'm with friends having epic conversations about movies. The one with 2001 and this one are my favourites!
Your point at the end about how this is such a vague film that doesn't leave clues to explain what happened, is exactly what i love most about this film. It doesn't feel the need to spoon feed you closure and instead asks you to make up your own mind about what "The Shimmer" really is as well as the effect it has on humans. I'm a pro ambiguity person when it comes to stories, especially if it's done well as opposed to just shoehorned cliffhangers that are done to set up unnecessary sequels or spin offs. I highly recommend Ex Machina as well done by the same writer/director Alex Garland. A true work of art that is one of the best science fiction films of my lifetime.
Fanrtastic reaction! I loved your editing and 4-screen setup, too, as well as the after-show analysis. It made me want to watch more of your reactions!
In the book, if I remember correctly, they decided to try a female team because the other male or mixed team didn't work out. Like this entire swamp was an alien entity and sending women would be less of a threat and more of a communication channel for the alien entity.
The film leaves you with a lot of questions, just like when you watch it for the first time, so I'll take the liberty of explaining the story and therefore the meaning of the end of the film to you The film mainly deals with two themes of destruction or self-destruction and rebirth At the beginning of the film you see the alien falling to earth and entering the lighthouse. Normally such an impact would end in devastating destruction, but this is not the case. The lighthouse is not damaged apart from the hole A scene is then shown of Lina explaining to her students how a cancer cell works, how it divides and gradually does not destroy the body but rather reshapes and reprograms it. Taking all of this back to the beginning of the film explains to us that the alien is also like a cancer that has settled on the earth like a parasite to reshape the environment and that is exactly what happens in the film In the shimmer nothing is destroyed, everything is just changed. Plants and animals are genetically manipulated in a similar way to how a cancer does to the body. Of course, cancer also results in death, but mainly it only changes and manipulates the cells and genes in the body The shimmer thus creates a new world without destroying the old one. Possibly the alien was sent to earth not to destroy it but to create a new habitat Now we come to another important theme in the film: self-destruction. The doctor explains in the film that everyone destroys themselves at some point in life and that also applies to the characters. Lina cheats on her husband, the doctor has cancer, Josie hurts herself on her arms with a knife and so on Each of the characters has an urge to self-destruct, including Kain, because he knew that Lina was cheating on him and never told her and thus mentally self-destructed. The shimmer, however, is the exact opposite of destruction; it creates something new, so the people in the film are a metaphor for antibodies that now go into the shimmer to find and destroy the cancer. In the end, the alien copies Lina in order to learn and create something new again. The lighthouse or the cave is a metaphor for birth, the cave is the birth canal and the alien is the egg cell. When Lina looks into the alien, the alien essentially gives birth to a new organism, it creates something new again and doesn't destroy anything In the end, Lina finally learns that it can't be killed because the alien doesn't know how death works, the alien can only create and not destroy anything. However, Lian still manages to kill it by teaching the alien what people are very good at have it. In the end, the alien learns the meaning of self-destruction, but it is completely overwhelmed and accidentally kills itself. Lina completes the betrayal of Cain with her own self-destruction The film explains that people repeatedly destroy themselves in life and often try to hide this or simply think it away instead of coming to terms with fate like the alien and creating something new and starting over like Lina and Kain at the end. By the way, the reason why both Lina and Kain end up with this special eye color is because Kain is of course a clone, but Lina was in the shimmer for too long and, similar to Josie, her eyes were completely manipulated and she therefore also has part of the shimmer's DNA in her carries
And Ventress is the master behind luring Lena poisoning Kane's clone because she knows about her cheating on him and she needs someone who can fight and learn...underrated movie as hell..
I don't think it's a copy/original type situation. Lena's DNA was altered while she was in the Shimmer. Like Ventress said, if they wait too long then the person who reaches the Lighthouse won't be the person who first entered the Shimmer. It's the original physical entity that entered the Shimmer, but it is no longer Lena.
As much as I love the film, I highly recommend reading the book-Wholly different, and because, from what I understand, the book was not even finished by the time the film was. In a similar way to how the film is limited to what the characters experienced, so much of the book takes place in the mind of The Biologist. When I read the books, I do picture The Psychologist from the film but I do not picture the actors for any of the other characters-Having seen the film first, that is incredibly strange and I admit the only time that has ever happened to me. I always picture the actors if I saw the film and then read the book. For this film, the acting is the weakest link. The stand out elements for me are the FX, the score/sounds, and the writing & directing. Anyway, I implore y’all to give the book a read. 🙏🏼☺️ Godspeed
The book series is great. Highly recommended if you like hard sci if. The movie is only very loosely based on the books. The books go much much deeper.
This movie, while still mildly confusing, still managed to achieve the rare feat of actually being BETTER than the book, at least in my opinion. I read the book after the movie in the hopes that it will expand on where the movie lost me, but NOPE. It ended up leaving me even MORE lost, and the author made some rather bizarre decisions to make it "pop" in its way, such as the lack of naming the characters. At least the movie made it a point to provide at least some sort of foundation to things. The book? Not so much. I ended up not finishing the series of books and stopped only on the first.
The bear is crying out for help, and so is the scientist, as they’ve melded together. The bear is in agony, seeking help and death. Also, this movie was so royally screwed by Netflix. One day in the theater 🤦♀️ It was fantastic though. I’ve had the skull of the bear replicated, as I adore this film.
What is your favorite cosmic horror movie?
Underwater was pretty good
Dark Waters (1993) is a really good one.
Alien ( 1979 ) a classic.
Event Horizon is also pretty hard-core.
Color Out Of Space with Nic Cage.
That bear scene is the only scene I saw in theaters where I actively looked away form the screen. Something mixed with the design of the bear and the terrifying aspect of it mimicking the last screams of its prey just got me. One of the scariest movie monsters hands down.
That bear scene was terryfying to me. And I watched the Alien chestbursters scene when I was 10...
its highly possible that it wasn’t mimicking cass but that cass merged with the bear as the shimmer merged stuff’s dna
@@jiji7250I assumed it merged vocal cords when she was killed and dragged away from the group. They did find the body next to a tree outside later.
@@napostrophen More than that, if you look on the left brow of the bear, there is a partial human skull sharing the orbital bone with the bear skull, teeth and all. The bear had spliced in human Cassie's DNA and had developed similar physiological traits with Cassie specifically, hence the identical voice.
yeah, pretty much it
Such an awesome mind-bending film, with terrific terror to boot!
I wish there were more movies like this, not so much the mind melting adventure but the way people can make normal function become alien. Like the bear with a human skull attached to it with the victim's voice, the flower-deer, and the shark-o-dile. Super creepy, but also fulfills that desire for creativity.
This movie is a bit like a 21th century Stalker.
There is a theme as to why they're all women, in fact they said why minutes before you talked about it. The previous missions were military and were teams of men so now they're trying a team of women instead.
This is what cosmic horror is supposed to be. The alien is so alien that it’s completely beyond the capacity of our primitive ape brains to make sense of what they’re seeing. It warps our reality with it’s mere presence and all we can do is stare at it while our natural curiosity battles our fear of the unknown.
If Lovecraft was alive today to see this, he'll be proud to see people achieved to make a way to create otherworldly visuals he could only imagine through his writings.
💀💀 the girl with red-ish hair already is scared of crocodiles and when the guy with the heart for cinema said "just a crocodile" ... she went What do u mean it's just a crocodile. Man i love watching while zooted ❤ keep up the good work
omg this is one of my faves! i see almost no reactions to this. not many people watch cosmic horror
They were saying at the table when they all met for the first time, its all scientist women because so far its all just been military teams, presumably male military teams. Just switching to see if anything different happens.
The Screaming Bear: Nightmare Fuel!😱
After watching the bear scene I had to watch about an hour of Disney videos 😊
@@barrysheppard7574 Oops, if you see anything from STALKER, you'll be traumatized for life then.
Dude istg when I first watched that I was FU****
Aint no regular bear. That was "Shimmer Demon Boar Bear". 😅
Agreed
I do think the copy died, but Lena is forever changed by having been in the shimmer. The tattooo that formed on her came from one of the other members of her team originally. The shimmer was just grabbing stuff and mixing it all together, and randomly splicing those features into everything that was inside it, with items close to each other getting the most sharing (hence the bear that tore out the woman's throat getting her voice). I personally believe that, ultimately, Lena brought the shimmer out with her -- when she stood right next to the heart of it and stared into it, it became part of her. I think her husband was a copy, but she was somehow infused with its essence while still remaining mostly herself. The only real question is why she survived when no one else did, but that might just be a device to show us that in the end, it's not the end -- the shimmer goes on, the alien is among us.
I agree. I think Kane is the ‘copy’ and Lena is the original but mutated.
I think the bear and every other being inside survived too and idk if they managed to control the area... birds an bugs might definitely get out into the world.
That's what makes this movie eerie and unsettling, that this world is f*ked because the Shimmer will continue to slowly affect everything.
The tattoo was on the body that was "blooming" in the military base swimming pool.
@@changsangma1915 I think once the Shimmer's field / Area X is gone, the mutations are no longer possible (and thus won't spread to the world). But then again I don't know much about this movie so maybe you're right
One ending explanation that I love most :
Notice when alien is copying Lena, first it mirrors her every action. But as it turns more human, background music changes from synth to human and the alien also shows signs of independent action as he doesn't mirror her every action but still copying her thoughts and personality.
That's why its palm is reversed as it accepts the grenade. Why did it do that? Because she was suicidal, depressed and guilt ridden over cheating on Oscar (which led to his death as he took the mission to go away) and alien accidentally copied her biggest trait : to burn her own house down!
Hence the main alien doesn't bother with fire and instead of running or extinguishing the fire, goes into the deepest part of his layer.
"Isn't self destruction coded into us?"
Her cheating saved the world, woohoo.
Just one interpretation ofcourse!
Also I believe in the ending, Oscar was a copy and Natalie was a mutation.
That's interesting but problem I have with that theory is that for me the alien doesn't have any motivation. It just is what it is. Mixing up everything it comes into contact with. Sometimes beautifully, sometimes horrifically. But that measure is completely subjective. With this expedition into Area X, the team is revealed to be self-destructive and our biggest flaws become the biggest asset to destroy the shimmer. Kane having a southern accent and Lena having Anyas tattoo are physical manifestations of that, and we also get their monologues that they thenselves don't even know who or what they are anymore because their minds are also spliced as well.
@@brooklynnewyork23 At the end of the day, it doesn't matter if Lena is a copy or not because the point is that she is no longer the same person anyway. She and Isaac are both irreversibly and forever changed by their experiences and metaphorically didn't survive.
I didn't latch onto this on my first viewing, but my theory is similar to yours, except that the trait it copied from Lena was her desire to destroy the Shimmer. As one of the characters observed earlier, "Ventress wants to face it, you [Lena] want to fight it." But that can still go hand-in-hand with Lena's own self-destructiveness and guilt.
Yea, it's the old War-of-the-Worlds-trope, which doesn't even feel cliche when it's done well like it is here. Apparently humanity sucks so bad this thing unalived itself in the end really
The selfdestruction is coded into our DNA to fight of rouge cells mutating beyond control. Cancer is simply cells where that safeguard has failed.
Apparently the film had some behind the scenes drama between David Ellison of Skydance who co-financed the film with Paramount and Scott Rudin the producer of the film during a test screening in the Summer of 2017. Ellison became concerned that the movie was “too intellectual” and “too complicated,” and wanted changes made to make it appeal to a wider audience which included making Portman’s character more sympathetic as well as tweaking the ending.
Rudin on the other hand who was Alex Garland’s cheerleader and also produced _Ex Machina,_ sided with Garland, defending the movie and refused to take notes. Paramount who was caught in the middle of the conflict eventually decided to sold the international distribution rights to Netflix where it was streamed instead of being released to theaters while Paramount retained the theatrical rights in the US and Canada and China where the film underperformed at the box office.
I would love if all four of you would react to _Ex Machina_ on the channel which was also directed by Alex Garland and starring Oscar Isaac who appeared in _Annihilation_
This is one of those movies where it's best to look at from a poetic, metaphorical lens instead of a science fiction "this is how it works" lens. It's a vibes movie, not a lore movie. The shimmer is unknowable, incomprehensible, a true eldritch being. It doesn't even seem to seek harm, it just is, and it is incompatible with us. It rejects understanding.
But above all it's metaphor. Annihilation is its title. Self-destruction. Change. Trauma. Cancer. Grief. Death. Almost everything in this movie has a double meaning that tie into its themes. As Dan Olsen says in his fantastic video "Annihilation and Decoding Metaphor", which I highly recommend, "in this movie, metaphorical IS textual".
Focusing on lore ruins cosmic horror. Its the sense of dread and things aren't right. It's the Monty Hall problem but it's infected all of reality. Plotting out C'thulu's family tree ruins it.
Very well said.
You nailed it. The Shimer IS the being.
People seem to think the mimic is an entity, alien or living thing. It isn't. It's a complicated duplication of Lena created by her interaction with the source of the Shimer.
Just want to reiterate it. You nailed it. The being is the Shimer. The mimick is NOT the bring. The Shimer is.
This movie was actually scary, especially that bear scene.
I didn't get this movie the first time I watched, like at all. My tiny teen brain was too confused.
ikr, theres just something so creepy about the indifference of predators.
Man, I forgot how uncomfortable that made me until I just saw it again here. NOTHING ABOUT IT IS RIGHT.
@@thdenwheja756 the whole movie was pretty unsettling but that scene takes the cake
It is a horror movie tho.. scifi horror..
My favorite part about the bear scene is that the bear isn’t using Cass’ last words intentionally. It doesn’t know what syllables are words together and what order they go in. It’s just using the sounds without any context, screaming the ‘me’ out of ‘help me’ and using her screams intermixed. It’s just a creature ultimately, even if it held a shard of her voice in the moment of her death.
That’s just terrifying to me. Like Josie said, Cass died in fear and pain and that was the only thing that survived her death. Nothing about her intelligence and kindness in life.
To me that mirrors the alien. Like Ventress said she doesn't think it wants. I don't think the alien MEANT any harm its just toxic to us by existing.
@@LangkeeLongkeethat’s true! they didn’t have any concept of what they were doing particularly , just following their natural path. I’m sure the bear didn’t mean to absorb Cass’ last impression, surely just being a victim of the refractions.
I have to say it is really refreshing how empathetic you all are to the different characters, as opposed to others judging or hating on them and making fun the entire time.😊
Yeah, it’s really refreshing
because some viewers as i can read from comments could find this garbage actually "good" ... so better be empathetic.
@@_TheJp_ Ahh, one of those who has to look down his nose at people who like things you don't. I hope it's fun being you.
@@Corn_Pone_Flicks well for sure is more fun to be me than answer back nonsense because someone doesn't understand a damn about simple plain text.
@@_TheJp_ the audacity you have to judge other peoples tastes when you have the most online profile pic
Every so often, a great scifi movie is allowed onto the big screen. Annihilation is one of them.
56:21 You're not missing it, Stella. You're spot-on here. The movie *_doesn't_* give any clues to "solve" what's going on.
There are things in it to understand at an intellectual level, but more importantly there are things there to understand on an emotional level.
It's about the loss of self, through physical destruction, mental destruction, escape from who you are or acceptance that you're never going to be the same, for whatever reason. Essentially, the entire movie is a metaphor for that loss of self.
one of the important clues is the ouroboros tattoo. Ouroboros is a gnostic and alchemical symbol that expresses the unity of all things, material and spiritual, which never disappear but perpetually change form in an eternal cycle of destruction and re-creation.
I love how much better this film is on a second watch. Little details like the fact that the bear scene takes place in a house that is identical to Lena’s, that’s why she looks confused when she walks in and checks the art on the walls. It's her house, just mutated. It’s a copy, an emulation, but it’s not quite there. Also the bear has a human skull growing out of the side of its own, sharing an eye. Neat touches to drive home the theme.
I think Kane has a bear tattoo as well, on his chest or shoulder.
This is my favorite alien movie by far, because it's SO alien. Such perfect cosmic horror. And I agree, the imagery alone would make it worth the watch. Beautiful, horrific, fascinating. I also loved how deeply you engaged with the movie in your reaction, thank you for that.
I've always found the ending ot this movie weirdly comforting. The original couple (possibly standing in for humanity in general?) failed miserably in its propensity for self-destruction. Maybe the alien clone Adam and Eve will do better.
the alien is trying to emulate their feelings and emotions so they are "themselves" but not themselves. I think the takeaway is that self destructive tendencies are part of human nature, and it's inevitable within everyone. Natalie Portman's character destroyed the crystal hive so maybe the shimmer stopped spreading. but Natalie and her husband are stuck as half formed alien chameleons of themselves forever. A scar from going into the shimmer willingly (sui****)
I highly recommend the HP Lovecraft cosmic horror The Color Out Of Space with Nic Cage.
My theory is that when we lose track of the alien, when we perceive "her" coming out of the hole, we switch perspectives. The alien is then shown trying to prevent her from leaving. That is actually the original, but she looks alien to the new "her". When she fully understands this, she accepts her old self is too injured and must die so the new self can live the way her original husband did, while he was talking to his new self.
Neat theory, and it does explain the alien being out of the hole before her. But I think there's the issue of the shimmer being destroyed. If the original her died and the copy lived how was the shimmer destroyed? Her husband died and the copy left but the shimmer remained. I'm pretty sure the reason it disappeared is the alien inherited her suicidal thoughts and desire to destroy the shimmer, and so spread the phosphorous to the shimmer's heart (the whole chamber Ventress was found in) and killed it.
Also, the alien copy has awkward, slightly delayed movements early on while it's still learning to mimic her. If what we see as the alien was the original, why would she be imitating the alien instead of trying to run away?
I remember watching this and feeling so confused. I felt like an idiot.
That's kinda the point tho innit. I hate when people HAVE to ascribe some meaning to everything in a piece of art. The best art has no meaning, it just makes you feel a certain way
Its cosmic horror. Thats how it is supposed to be. Lovecraft made it a point to say they are beyond human understanding. The genre is based on that central point! You are not an idiot.
Nope. Not an idiot. It’s a waste of film, if SD cards weren’t cheap as chips it never would have been made. Nobody would pay for film to park it.
Your not an idiot. Not even the writers understand the movie. The people who say they do just want to sound cool and feel like they are in some kind of smart peoples club.
@@TheNichq Keep telling yourself that.
If you notice and re watch the bear scene, there’s a human skull fused on the right side of its face. It almost has a semi formed eye ball in it as well. Almost as if it absorbed Cass before she died
From what i have heard, in the books its explained that the people the bear eats become a part of it.
The ending is tough to understand but essentially she’s no the same Lena from the beginning. Technically she’s the original but she’s mutated beyond what she was in the begin of the movie. All in all, the movie was a great adaptation from the book but the book is definitely more terrifying than the movie. Then entire lighthouse became an actual living and breathing life form. It was actually insane getting through all of it.
Screaming Bear = Shit in my pants. 😢
The movie tagline
The disturbing part of the movie wasn't the monsters it was the motivations for each person getting to a point in their lives where the damage was too great to bare.
I once heard a story told by a young women who had severe emotional damage. She was married and gave into the flirtations of a co-worker and had a physical affair. The guilt was eating her alive and she knew she had to confess her betrayal to her husband but before she could, he confronted her with the evidence of her affair. She described the pain on his face and the emotions behind his eyes. He calmly got up and walked out of the house and three days later he committed suicide. His family wouldn't even tell her where he was buried. She was trying to live with the fact that she did this, she destroyed their lives. Like the movie character Leana did.
She can never have peace, never have closure. It's the worm that never dies. That's the disturbing part of the movie.
Stella's high pitched squeak:
"What do you mean it's just a crocodile?"🐊
Lol me too.
The bear! 😱 It's one of the scariest things I've ever seen. The dread and horror, omg. The screams 😫 Traumatizing.
I wonder how much of what happened inside the shimmer with all expeditions (prior and the protagonist's) reflected the fact it was probably treated like suicide mission by everybody involved, crews and people sending them alike. Because who would volunteer for a mission like that? Only a person who has nothing to return to in first place. That's imho why Kane volunteered to go "right now"; he learned of his wife cheating. To me that's an answer to the question asked by the interrogator, why she's first and only to return: Natalie Portman's character found herself in the camp involuntarily and her own death wasn't on her mind at all. She simply was the only one wanting to return.
The Screaming Bear reminds me of the giant killer mutant bear Katahdin from the 1979 environmental horror thriller PROPHECY, where an EPA scientist and his wife discover animals in Maine being mutated from 20 years of industrial pollution.
YES! I remember PROPHECY, I was 11 years old and actually read the novel version back then. That mutant bear has STILL remained in my brain all these years later, I can't help but wonder if the makers of this film referenced it.
This movie messed my brain up
b/c it's stupid. your brain was made for intelligibility and reality, not scifi bs from deranged modern ideologies.
Can someone get Stella a booster seat for those group shots? 😅
I really got into the math, biology, landscapes, and aesthetics of fractals, so that was my lens watching this. Also, the books of Stanislaw Lem (Polish sci-if) who wrote alien/worlds as truly alien and ultimately impossible to fully understand.
Solaris is a personal favorite of mine. I like both the Russian and American adaptations in different ways
From a Polish perspective: the American adaptation actually understands the novel better (and apparently Lem preferred it - he never saw the complete Tarkovsky movie and he called Soderbergh's vision "complete") There is also an earlier Soviet tv adaptation, which is probably the most faithful... on a Soviet tv theatre budget.@@Heritage367
Yep, Solaris is awesome.@@Heritage367
@@Heritage367 Same! It's one of the few times where different approaches to the same story both worked so well. Soderbergh's version is worth it for the music alone.
YES! I'm so happy you decided to check this one out! This IS my favourite cosmic horror movie. It might not all make sense from a scientific point but rather from a psychological and philosophical point of view. It's very metaphoric, especially at the end. Alex Garland himself said that this is a story about self destruction. And that's why Lena was able to "defeat" the creature, because it copied her and she kinda passed her self destructive traits on to the mimic. There is a lot more going on beneath the surface of the story, most of it is told by visuals and not in dialogue. The studio wanted Garland to change the movie because it was "too intellectual" but I'm glad they didn't do it because it's very thought provoking as it is. As a result - it didn't get a theatrical release in a lot of countries though. Sadly. I would have loved to see that in the cinema. I think this is a very underrated piece of art and I hope people will appreciate it more over time. Especially in this time of recycled ideas, remakes, reboots and sequels.
Was a good adaptation of the first book... wish they'd done all 3 tbh
One of the best scify stories I've read
Sadly since the movie flopped at the box office that killed any plans to sdapt the rest of the book series.
Worth noting this is James and Nobu’s first Horror movie reaction in 8-10 months as Nobu’s last horror movie he reacted was _Scream_ and James last horror film reaction was _Barbarian_ and throughout the first 6 months of 2023 it was the Girls (Hailey and Stella) that did the reactions to the Horror films.
I definitely would like to see James and Nobu do more Horror films reactions on the channel.
I did a paper in college on this movie. The main focus was to try and define what the alien was, where it came from, motivations, needs, etc. I really picked a hard movie for that assignment but it was absolutely worth it 😂
And what did you learn about it?
Ooh! I'd love to hear a bit more about that!
im invested in reading this.
If you look at The Shimmer as a metaphor for cancer. It all fits like your interpretation, which I agree with.
What conclusion did you come to? Is your paper available anywhere?
Yes it makes sense.
I read the books first so obligatory “the books are better” but this is an excellent film. It’s an incredible interpretation and I feel should stand alone as a separate piece of art. Mainly because an enormously important physical structure, journey, and character development take place in the books that just doesn’t happen in the movie, but I couldn’t have really been put in the movie anyway. Hence my feelings.
I've heard repeatedly that the first book is decent, but that the sequels get worse with each one.
@@tophers3756 I’d say the second one is a bit of a lull but the third one is good. The second one lingers too long on unnecessary world-building.
This movie blew my mind when I first saw it! It's so beautiful and the whole cell division, cancer and existentialism thing had me philosophizing for a while! I mostly get caught up this: in cell division the mother cell becomes two daughter cells, implying in some way that the mother cell is 'lost'. What if when you enter the shimmer, you get lost in that way? Like you're still you until you are not anymore, if that makes sense. A cell in division is still that cell until it is two cells. And those cells are kind of the same, but not? I could go on for hours about this movie, it's so amazing!
The bear was for sure the most terrifying scene but the realization at the end that her husband in the beginning may not actually be the original is haunting lol
Incredible sci fi movie, and good reaction.
@45:43
Totally random intrusive thought, but at this point in the video, the way "Oh my gosh!" was said reminded me of the way Jennifer Coolidge said, "Oh my God! You look like the Fourth of July...." in Legally Blonde 2.
Masterpiece. Total masterpiece. It's almost up there with 2001.
its just bad metaphysics like the rest of scifi.
@@axeisthill5386 Then, please, go back to masturbating to fucking Marvel
@@axeisthill5386 Very insightful reply. Now go watch some Marvel shite.
Whoever came up with the Bear is a horror genius
The bear scene and lighthouse scene are both masterpieces
Love this movie, a truly unique alien is hard to come by in sci-fi and it makes this movie special. An alien that is in contant change and mutation, it trys to mimic, it ends up annilating itself because it changed beyond its own ability to control. Leta has become like the alien, part herself and part everything that was in the shimmer.
Yes a good sequel to this movie, would be those two trying to live normal human lives. While trying to grapple with their need to copy people.
Annihilation is VERY CLEARLY based on H.P. Lovecraft's 'The Color Out Of Space'.
It's a VERY slightly different version of the same story.
It's ALMOST setup like a sequel to a parallel event.
'The Color' takes place in Lovecraft Country (in Massachusetts).
'Annihilation' takes place in Florida.
So it's kinda like 2 separate "alien colors" came down in separate places.
The one in Lovecraft Country wasn't left alone, so stuff went crazy fast on a smaller more local scale.
The one is Florida was out in the middle of nowhere and allowed to fester and spread and get worse for a long time, and Annihilation is sort of the aftermath.
'The Color Out Of Space' was also recently adapted into a movie with Nic Cage. It's fucking insane.
I recommend checking that one out too. You'll see what I mean.
If you squint, you can almost treat this movie as a prequel to Moon Knight and Thor:Love & Thunder. As if this is why Marc Spector is insane, and why Jane got sick. lol
The director, Alex Garland is a goddamn genius.
The directorial credit for Dredd ON PAPER goes to some other guy, but it is lowkey fairly well known and understood that Alex Garland was the REAL director of Dredd, and that Dredd was his directorial debut.
Between Dredd, Ex Machina, and Annihilation, Alex Garland has one of the most insanely high quality track records out of any director ever.
In fact, it drinks TOO much from the STALKER saga, be it the games, the movie or the Roadside Picnic novel.
Moreover, in an interview with the author, he contradicted himself when asked if he knew Stalker or Picnic, and said he did not know them, but another previous interview, he said he did, which leads many to believe that there was some plagiarism.
Obviously, the brother who was still alive at the time, Boris Strugaski, did not care, and on the contrary he was flattered by the "inspiration".
And yes, obviously, Picnic has its recognized inspiration from Lovecraft.
you know the movie is based off a book of the same name right?
It’s based on a book of the same name
@@theCatastrophe3030 It may pretend to, but it's a version of 'The Color Out Of Space'.
I haven't read the book, but everyone says the movie is only vaguely related to the book.
So... 🤷♂ I have no comment on the book. Maybe that's a knock-off of 'The Color Out Of Space too for all I know.
Or maybe it's not.
The movie however is undeniably VERY directly a version of 'The Color Out Of Space'.
Anyone who says otherwise is either unfamiliar with the material or intentionally full of shit.
@@CapitalExpression It may pretend to, but it's a version of 'The Color Out Of Space'.
I haven't read the book, but everyone says the movie is only vaguely related to the book.
So... 🤷♂ I have no comment on the book. Maybe that's a knock-off of 'The Color Out Of Space too for all I know.
Or maybe it's not.
The movie however is undeniably VERY directly a version of 'The Color Out Of Space'.
Anyone who says otherwise is either unfamiliar with the material or intentionally full of shit.
I know everyone is talking about the bear, but my god those worm intestines were something else...🤮
That's what I'm saying 😂
Cool movie this is
Reminds me on Tarkovsky's dystopian classic "Stalker" (1979) which I rewatch every couple of years. Also, a famous videogame "S.T.A.L.K.E.R". There's this "zone" after a meteorite impact, and it's full of traps. Entering it is forbidden but "stalkers" illegally smuggle people into it because there's an idea that within the Zone there's a room that figures out and makes your deepest wish come true. Stalker's daughter is a mutant and does telekinesis. So, anyway, this parallels "Stalker" as well as "Colour Out Of Space".
It is that the author of the Southern Reach trilogy, a little bit that he let it be seen that he copied or was inspired by Roadside Picnic.
It wouldn't have been wrong for him to do so, since when Boris Strugasky, the only one of the Picnic brothers still alive, was asked, he took it as a compliment to be copied.
But, Jeff VanderMeer, the author of Annihilation in a couple of interviews contradicted himself, which for many, makes it clear that there was some kind of copy.
And although both stories may seem the same on the surface, in their plots they are different enough.
On the other hand, the Zone in the games, and in the novel, is not created from the fall of a meteorite.
In the games, I won't mention it so as not to give spoilers.
But in the novel, there is no right or exact answer. It is presumed, by the most widespread or most logical theory by scientists, that it was a visit of very, very, very, very advanced aliens. The "reality" is that there is no exact or unique origin for the creation of the Zone, because it is something that defies human logic.
Stalker is based on the book "Roadside Picnic" by Arkady Strugatsky and Boris Strugatsky. It's one of my favorite books.
I have to re-read the book then.
Interesting
While this isn't like, a scene for scene adaptation the way Dune feels for a lot of folks, I think it thematically still keeps the spirit of the first book, though that trilogy gets weirder and weirder as it goes on. Something that's irritated me is people getting upset about Natalie being cast in the role of what is an asian character in the books. But here's the thing, the first book goes out of its way to make sure there are no identifying features of any of the characters. Everyone is known by their profession/specialty. You don't find out the main character's background or even name until the second book. And when the movie was being made, the second and third books weren't out yet.
The Southern Reach series though feels more like a weird blend of Lost (the show) and Control (the game), but with its own aesthetic and story
I can’t recommend this to everyone, but this is one of my favorite sci-fi films in recent years.
It's interesting seeing all these people say the bear scene was super scary because the scene that i found the most scary and unsettling was Lena trying to get out of the lighthouse.
The point is that they both had to come back to eachother. He had to come back to her, but he came back as a copy, and she destroyed it the copier, but absorbed some of the ladies she ventured in there with during her time.
Such a beautiful film. Blew my mind the first time I watched it. I love the ambiguity, the questioning of what we deem our identity to be composed of. Really loved your quizzical commentary ;-0 You must check out EXISTENZ (1999) which also stars Jennifer Jason Leigh who played Dr Ventress. Another beautiful and strange sci-fi horror.
I watched that movie when it came out and was very excited to learn about Cronenberg's take on the emergent gamer culture. A very new concept at the time. The movie didn't disappoint.
@@CanalTremocos Yes, very ahead of his time. I particularly like his use of bioports which surely can't be that far off, given the speed at which VR, prosthetics and AI seem to progress😁 Not sure I am ready to fully integrate myself with biological material just yet, though 😳😳😳
Annihilation is the definition of "not for everyone". But it was for me, and I've watched it several times to try and unravel its mysteries. Rare movie that, like The Exorcist or Sin City, features a unique collaboration between and author and filmmaker, and likewise produced a singular and special result
This movie is for wannabe film critics, so they can discuss what the movie means, even though it means nothing and is just a poorly written story.
@@TheNichq Yep, it's true! Anyone who enjoyed this film is a pretentious idiot, and only your opinion matters 😂
My thought is that this is some aliens "terraforming" a new home - Earth... to make it fit for them :(
Goosebumps 1 & 2 please
Loved Stella's contributions this video, the movie definitely takes on a different twist after you've already seen it!
This movie was phenomenal ngl, don’t care what anyone says. It left such an imprint on my mind I literally went out and bought the trilogy of books to know how the rest of the story plays out, would recommend.
additional note, i wouldn’t recommend watching this movie while tripping on lsd or shrooms, its literally the most traumatic mental experience
It's like a spiritual entry to "The Thing" universe. A shapeshifting alien that mutates/encompasses everything.
14:00 - "So was she cheating with this guy?"
- "On Oscar Isaac!?"
I really get you girl...
Finally someone has reacted to this masterpiece of a movie!
Awesome film
The "Ship of Theseus" is also a thread to pull on
For those who don’t understand about the bear seen, when it ate Casses throat it ate her larynx which contains humans vocal cords it then reconstructed it’s DNA with of her DNA (that’s why there is a human skull on the bears right side)while it remembered her last screams for help before she was killed to also use as bait for the others. (Hoped this was helpful to anyone who was confused)
I don't think the bear intentionally used her voice for bait I think it was just existing and making sounds. Like I don't think the alien meant to kill them either its just dangerous as it is.
*scene*
nature vs. nurture. Can they be separated? Did the shimmer offer to show what that would be like?
The best way to explain what was happening: imagine there’s a table full of two liter sodas.
All different flavors, some sodas even off brands of official flavors.
Now imagine there’s a robot who is mixing the flavors, half and half. Some liters are filled up full half and half, and then mixed with another bottle. New flavors are being made over time and new mixes are suddenly in bottles that were empty.
None of those bottles will never be filled to two liters, and those that are, aren’t 100% what was originally in the bottle to begin with.
Lena was coke, slowly mixing with other flavors over time, changing her even though she’s the same person. Shes like one of those bottles, you might be able to taste an original flavor, but something new is mixed in forever now.
Cane is different. Cane is all the off brand sodas being combined, trying to copy an official flavor. Cane was Dr.Pepper.
The Cane at the end of the movie was Dr.D, Dr. PHD, it was Dr. Whatever, trying to be the original taste everyone else knows best. But it’s not really Dr. Pepper.
She got "down on its level" so that she had a straight shot into the 'gator's mouth, the place where it is least armored and therefore most vulnerable to gunfire.
The book really blew my mind I didn't know someone could write like that, the film tried but I read Alex Garland got shafted and wasn't able to make the film he wanted to
Good reaction guys, i recommended you guys this movie like 5 years ago, finally the day has arrived lol. This movie was great bc it leaves you equally intrigued and disturbed and you keep thinking about it days (weeks?) after. Hope you guys check out more Cosmic Horror (Event Horizon, The Empty Man, The Color Out of Space) and Space Horror (Apollo 18, Life). Also the "No one will save you" movie that just came its so good, you'll enjoy it.
The protoform morphing into Lena reminded me of an A.I. model refining itself to match a source image.
The books are EVEN STRANGER and just as beautiful, if not MORE.
Oh hey I requested this!!! I didnt even think you were gunna react to this!
This is the most confusing ending of a movie for me😂 But it's an enjoyable journey though, the bear is the most horrific creature ever!
This is meant to be inexplicable and foreign. The 'being' isn't even a creature, or the shimmer, or the mutations, it is just something that happens. My take is that the meteorite caused a manifestation of a higher dimension. The 'Kaleidoscope" is like a 3d approximation of a 4 dimensional existence, just like a 2d shadow is an approximation of a 3d object. It's like a 3d shadow, and its mere existence distorts light, matter and time altogether.
PS. You guys missed the impossible refraction on the glass of water at the beginning of the movie. when Lena and Kane touch hands from behind the glass, the reflection moves sideways in a weird way, only possible if his fingers detach and meld into her hand. Very subtle and open to interpretation, just like the rest of the movie.
Amazingly under rated movie. Great suspense building, music, characters, and i love Natalie Portman
We truly need a "What the heck?" counter for y'all.
@48:00 You're close! My own take on this moment of the movie is that a being capable of willing itself to self-destruct "teaches" an alien being, which does NOT know self-destruction, only self-duplication...like a tumor...Leena gives the alien a new knowledge it did not previously have. That's why it didn't "want" anything. It's a wild, wild meditation on our innermost natures, and not just us either, but life itself: why does it seem "programmed" within every biological lifeform to be capable of destroying itself?
THAT is why Ventress picked these team members: **they are all self-sabatoging people.** Kane decided to go on a suicide mission when he realized his wife was cheating on him. What are ways we, even the seemingly healthiest & sanest of us, slowly sabotage ourselves?
Meanwhile the alien is a being that does not seem to know what annihilation even is. But in turn, this makes life into a malignant force, neverending, always growing...so, does life *need* annihilation?
I don't think there's been a star-studded sci-fi movie as brilliant as this one since "Children of Men." And, I also (personally!) like this movie better than the novel it's adapted from.
The bear looks awesome but what send chills down my spine was when he started speaking ☠️
You know a movie is good when there's lots of discussion and exchange of ideas and theories after the movie ends. Sometimes we want a clear narrative but sometimes we want a movie that makes our mind hurt trying to figure it out 😅😅😅😅😅
It was the fungus spores they have been breathing it in since they got there 💡👍
I really love when it's the four of you, it feels like I'm with friends having epic conversations about movies. The one with 2001 and this one are my favourites!
I do love Cosmic/Lovecraftian Horror.
i call it lunacy
Your point at the end about how this is such a vague film that doesn't leave clues to explain what happened, is exactly what i love most about this film. It doesn't feel the need to spoon feed you closure and instead asks you to make up your own mind about what "The Shimmer" really is as well as the effect it has on humans. I'm a pro ambiguity person when it comes to stories, especially if it's done well as opposed to just shoehorned cliffhangers that are done to set up unnecessary sequels or spin offs. I highly recommend Ex Machina as well done by the same writer/director Alex Garland. A true work of art that is one of the best science fiction films of my lifetime.
Fanrtastic reaction! I loved your editing and 4-screen setup, too, as well as the after-show analysis. It made me want to watch more of your reactions!
Annihilation is one of the best sci-fi movies ever made.
This was great, excited for when Children Of Men... as depressing as that scenario is its one of my favourite films
In the book, if I remember correctly, they decided to try a female team because the other male or mixed team didn't work out. Like this entire swamp was an alien entity and sending women would be less of a threat and more of a communication channel for the alien entity.
Big fan of the way Stella says impordent.
The tattoo is Uroboros, a symbol for self-destruction.
The entire movie is a metaphor for self-destruction
The film leaves you with a lot of questions, just like when you watch it for the first time, so I'll take the liberty of explaining the story and therefore the meaning of the end of the film to you
The film mainly deals with two themes of destruction or self-destruction and rebirth
At the beginning of the film you see the alien falling to earth and entering the lighthouse. Normally such an impact would end in devastating destruction, but this is not the case. The lighthouse is not damaged apart from the hole
A scene is then shown of Lina explaining to her students how a cancer cell works, how it divides and gradually does not destroy the body but rather reshapes and reprograms it. Taking all of this back to the beginning of the film explains to us that the alien is also like a cancer that has settled on the earth like a parasite to reshape the environment and that is exactly what happens in the film
In the shimmer nothing is destroyed, everything is just changed. Plants and animals are genetically manipulated in a similar way to how a cancer does to the body. Of course, cancer also results in death, but mainly it only changes and manipulates the cells and genes in the body
The shimmer thus creates a new world without destroying the old one. Possibly the alien was sent to earth not to destroy it but to create a new habitat
Now we come to another important theme in the film: self-destruction. The doctor explains in the film that everyone destroys themselves at some point in life and that also applies to the characters. Lina cheats on her husband, the doctor has cancer, Josie hurts herself on her arms with a knife and so on
Each of the characters has an urge to self-destruct, including Kain, because he knew that Lina was cheating on him and never told her and thus mentally self-destructed.
The shimmer, however, is the exact opposite of destruction; it creates something new, so the people in the film are a metaphor for antibodies that now go into the shimmer to find and destroy the cancer. In the end, the alien copies Lina in order to learn and create something new again. The lighthouse or the cave is a metaphor for birth, the cave is the birth canal and the alien is the egg cell. When Lina looks into the alien, the alien essentially gives birth to a new organism, it creates something new again and doesn't destroy anything
In the end, Lina finally learns that it can't be killed because the alien doesn't know how death works, the alien can only create and not destroy anything. However, Lian still manages to kill it by teaching the alien what people are very good at have it. In the end, the alien learns the meaning of self-destruction, but it is completely overwhelmed and accidentally kills itself. Lina completes the betrayal of Cain with her own self-destruction
The film explains that people repeatedly destroy themselves in life and often try to hide this or simply think it away instead of coming to terms with fate like the alien and creating something new and starting over like Lina and Kain at the end.
By the way, the reason why both Lina and Kain end up with this special eye color is because Kain is of course a clone, but Lina was in the shimmer for too long and, similar to Josie, her eyes were completely manipulated and she therefore also has part of the shimmer's DNA in her carries
And Ventress is the master behind luring Lena poisoning Kane's clone because she knows about her cheating on him and she needs someone who can fight and learn...underrated movie as hell..
I don't think it's a copy/original type situation. Lena's DNA was altered while she was in the Shimmer. Like Ventress said, if they wait too long then the person who reaches the Lighthouse won't be the person who first entered the Shimmer. It's the original physical entity that entered the Shimmer, but it is no longer Lena.
As much as I love the film, I highly recommend reading the book-Wholly different, and because, from what I understand, the book was not even finished by the time the film was.
In a similar way to how the film is limited to what the characters experienced, so much of the book takes place in the mind of The Biologist. When I read the books, I do picture The Psychologist from the film but I do not picture the actors for any of the other characters-Having seen the film first, that is incredibly strange and I admit the only time that has ever happened to me. I always picture the actors if I saw the film and then read the book.
For this film, the acting is the weakest link. The stand out elements for me are the FX, the score/sounds, and the writing & directing. Anyway, I implore y’all to give the book a read.
🙏🏼☺️ Godspeed
The book series is great. Highly recommended if you like hard sci if. The movie is only very loosely based on the books. The books go much much deeper.
This movie, while still mildly confusing, still managed to achieve the rare feat of actually being BETTER than the book, at least in my opinion. I read the book after the movie in the hopes that it will expand on where the movie lost me, but NOPE. It ended up leaving me even MORE lost, and the author made some rather bizarre decisions to make it "pop" in its way, such as the lack of naming the characters. At least the movie made it a point to provide at least some sort of foundation to things. The book? Not so much. I ended up not finishing the series of books and stopped only on the first.
The bear is crying out for help, and so is the scientist, as they’ve melded together. The bear is in agony, seeking help and death. Also, this movie was so royally screwed by Netflix. One day in the theater 🤦♀️ It was fantastic though. I’ve had the skull of the bear replicated, as I adore this film.
This movie is underrated
nah