Annihilation

The first thing you should know about Annihilation is that it’s gifted with one of the most eerily memorable scores of all time, care of Ben Salisbury and Geoff Barrow. That alone is reason enough to make you press play on this trippy Alex Garland Alex masterpiece on Netflix.

While we’re on the subject of Netflix, it’s worth noting that video streaming likely killed any chance of overseas success Annihilation might have had.

Netflixed scooped this one up shortly after it premiered in U.S. theaters, which means two things: non-stateside folks only got to see it on the small screen — what a waste — and it’s difficult to tally what its exact earnings are, as Netflix doesn’t share viewership data.

That’s too bad, since this psychedelic monster-ish movie, adapted from Jeff VanderMeer’s cult novel, is one of the most eccentric cinematic works in recent years. Annihilation follows a group of women as they investigate the highly mysterious “Area X” and discover bizzaro creature fusions, plant mutations, and all sorts of otherworldly phenomena.

With multi-dimensional characters, strong performances, visually striking images, and a complex existential question at its core, Annihilation seems poised to be crowned a cult classic in the years to come. You better watch it now before everyone finds out it’s cool.

Director: Alex Garland – Screenplay: Alex Garland – Cast: Natalie Portman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Tessa Thompson – Run Time: 2h 55m