Screenwriter's Series: Alex Garland
The Screenwriters Series will examine the filmography of a screenwriter with the hope of finding out what helped them break into the industry or continue to find success. "Story By" credits will not be used: only films with official WGA Screenplay credit per IMDb will be used. This includes screenplays with multiple writers that may or may not have collaborated.
THIS MONTH'S SCREENWRITER: Alex Garland
MOVIE: Annihilation (2018)
Starring:
Natalie Portman as Lena
Tessa Thompson as Josie Radek
Gina Rodriguez as Anya Thorensen
Tuva Novotny as Cass Sheppard
Jennifer Jason Leigh as Dr Ventress
Oscar Isaac as Kane
David Gyasi as Daniel
Benedict Wong as Lomax
Director: Alex Garland
Budget: $40 Million
Box Office:
Opened: $11M
Final: $32.7M
Plot:
After Lena's husband Kane returns from a mission, it's clear the man who came back wasn't the same as before. As he is being rushed to the hospital, their ambulance is stopped by government vehicles and the next thing Lena knows is that she wakes up in a government facility under the watch of Dr. Ventress. She explains that her husband was on a mission inside what is dubbed "The Shimmer", an alien substance that is slowly expanding until it covers Earth. Several missions had been sent into "The Shimmer" to try to discover the Lighthouse where it all began, but outside of Kane, no one had returned alive. Ventress is leading a team comprised of Anya (a medic), Cass (a geologist), and Josie (a physicist) in hopes of completing the mission. Lena, a biologist, convinces Ventress to let her join not only because she could prove useful to the mission but in hopes she can discover what happened to her husband. Nothing can prepare the team for the horrors that lay inside "The Shimmer."
The Script:
Outside of a slightly different beginning the final scene in and a full breakout sequence that is left out of the finished film, the rest of the script is unchanged. When Lena wakes up, she tries to escape in the hopes of finding her husband. While it was shot for the film, it was left out and honestly I think the film works better without it.
My Review:
I'll be honest. When I saw this movie in theaters I didn't like it and it really bummed me out because of how much I liked Ex Machina. When the movie came out on Blu Ray, I bought it because for some reason I was drawn to it and it sat on my shelf until I stumbled across it while cleaning. I don't know what my mood was like when I originally saw the film because I got so much more out of it upon rewatch.
There is an eerie and mesmerizing quality to this film, with a haunting score that perfectly pairs with the way the world has transformed because of "The Shimmer" (The topiary people and the animal splices stand out in my mind). The film looks great as well, with Garland in full control visually. This is incredibly evident in the finale at The Lighthouse, which I was floored by even in my initial watch. It was all done through motion capture, done by the talented Sonoya Mizuno who played Kyoko in Ex Machina and would reunite with Garland for the TV show DEVS. Even if you don't enjoy the journey, it's hard to not appreciate the destination.
The cast is rounded out by fantastically talented and capable actresses led by Natalie Portman. Lena is motivated by a guilt that Portman captures wonderfully and her being an outsider to the team on the mission makes for some great natural tension.
Give this underrated film a chance, as there is a good possibility you didn't see this one in theaters. I did and I didn't fully appreciate all it had to offer.
Critical reception:
88% on Rotten Tomatoes
Bram Stoker Awards Nominee- Best Screenplay
CinEuphoria Awards Nominee- Best Screenplay
Faro Island Film Festival Nominee- Best Screenplay
Fright Meter Awards Nominee- Best Screenplay
International Online Cinema Awards Nominee- Best Adapted Screenplay
Trivia:
After poor test screenings, Paramount wanted the ending changed and Portman's character to be made more likable to help it find a wider audience. Garland and Producer Scott Rudin didn't alter the film because Rudin had final cut.
Garland did not reread the book this is based on while writing the script, instead adapting it "Like a dream of the book."
Up Next: Devs (2020)