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It’s probably my favorite scifi movie that made me really feel something. I think you can find a lot to relate to, grief, depression, loss. I really think the main theme is self destruction, specifically resulting from some kind of trauma. Everyone had their own issues and they were all basically destroying themselves and finding solace in the shimmer.
Quite literally self ‘Annihilation’, I think the shimmer itself is more analogous to cancer (continuously expanding, with random distorted outcomes, most of which are agressive towards anything untainted by the shimmer), but fundamentally each of the characters are there for their own different reasons for self-destruction with the hopes that it benefits others, as they effectively know it’s a suicide mission).
The bit that I cannot recall if it was explained is why did the special ops guy go if he had a loving wife at home; what was his reason for self destruction?
The bit that I cannot recall if it was explained is why did the special ops guy go if he had a loving wife at home; what was his reason for self destruction?
I don’t remember an explanation for it aside from it was just his mission as part of being in the military. But he didn’t really have a “loving” wife at home. She cheated on him. Maybe he knew and volunteered for the mission because his marriage was over.
The book is better IMO (other than no Portman :-) and one of the most disturbing things I’ve ever read. Highly recommended.
The movie was about cancer? Where did you read that?! The movie is the closest movie approximation of the book Alex Garland could make, considering how dense and intertwined the whole Southern Reach Trilogy is.
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Sorry if my question sounded like an attack 😬 Vandermeer’s writing style deliberately opens his work to different interpretations and it’s rather interesting to see the same happening with this movie adaptation. Another interesting angle I’ve read is environmental: either in a way that Area X is return to nature (purification) or it’s the opposite (our own destruction of the planet) Getting ready to re-read the whole trilogy, will definitely include this guy’s cancer perspective as I am going through to see how it fits.
My favourite film analysis of this is by Dan Olson of Folding Ideas: https://youtu.be/URo66iLNEZw
It’s a great breakdown and also criticises those “ending explained” videos as well.
Here is an alternative Piped link(s): https://piped.video/URo66iLNEZw
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Requiem for a dream
Enter the void
Also “The Void” is another good one.
Dogville from 2003
I saw that movie in a tiny arthouse theatre and absolutely loved it. Kinda weird, but it was essentially a filmed stage play.
Beau is Afraid is absolutely mental. I had no idea what to expect when we went to see it, and I’m so thankful the cinema was empty so we could audibly talk about wtf was going on throughout. It’s definitely a movie I want people to watch but with the caveat that I’m not recommending it.
I absolutely loved Beau is Afraid, but yeah that last act was a trip. It reminded me of “Men”. The ending of that is just pure WTF.
The penis monster haunts my dreams! The whole movie was a trip and I absolutely loved the insanity of the first act, but the last 30 odd minutes were just mental
Eraserhead
Titane. If I had been told beforehand that a woman being fucked by a car would be the least messed up part of the movie, I’m not sure I’d have believed it; however, that movie has burned it’s way into my head like few others have.
I was about to comment this if someone else didn’t. Pure WTF fuel.
A Serbian Film.
First and only movie I ever regretted watching. Def could have gonna my whole life without seeing that.
The Lobster was pretty out there.
I absolutely love Yorgos Lanthimos’ movies. Killing of a Sacred Deer is probably my favorite. His movies just have this uneasyness that really makes you feel…off watching them.
Donnie Darko leaves more questions than answers
Sorry To Bother You was a wild fucking ride. Definitely watch it high for maximum wtf
- Everything Everywhere All At Once
- Mad Max 3: Beyond Thunderdome
“Under The Skin” with Scarlet Johansson. It has easily the most low-key terrifying scenes I’ve ever seen in a movie (the beach scene). And the whole film is the very definition of wtf.
Spun
Films super wild, also Brittany Murphy’s last role as well.
Edit: Altered States is another WTF movie.
Mother. It’s not that I didn’t get the allegory, it was just weird. Also Antichrist, though to be fair, saying “wtf did I just watch” was the whole point of the movie.
I didn’t get the allegory in Mother, and I didn’t really care. Totally wtf, but I loved how nightmarish it was, and how it looked visually, I was completely enthralled.
The guy was god, the gal was Earth.
