Natalie Portman’s latest film is now on Netflix

Sci-Fi film Annihilation is now available to stream on Netflix.

Annihilation hasn’t received the positive reviews it was hoping for after being dumped by Paramount in the United States and China.

The best thing to come out of this though is that Netflix has picked up the movie starring Natalie Portman and you can now watch it on Netflix.

The movie was highly anticipated following the success of director Alex Garland’s Ex Machina that was released in 2015. Despite being dropped from its major studios, the film is still engaging and provocative and being available on Netflix means a lot more people will get to see it.

Annihilation is said to be hypnotic and challenges the conventional sci-fi genre with new ideas that are likely to work their way into more and more sci-fi films as the genre develops in the new digital world.

Natalie Portman stars in Annihilation as Lena who embarks on a mission into The Shimmer – an electromagnetic field in Florida that is rapidly expanding. Until Lena’s husband, no one who had entered the field had ever come back.

Lena is a biologist and former army ranger who specialises in the genetic programming of cells and how they propagate.  It is only when her husband becomes seriously ill following his unknown return from The Shimmer that she learns about it from Dr. Ventress, a psychologist.

The mission the all-female team embarks on is essentially a suicide mission. But it is their nature – all scientists with a deep curiosity – that brings them together.

The Shimmer is filled with mutated animals and plants creating spectacular imagery for viewers and a unique sci-fi experience.

Much of the reasoning for Paramount’s decision to drop Annihilation can be explained by the design and nature of the film. A female dominated film in a predominantly male genre is a risk for the big money making studios. Combine that with an intelligent and thoughtful storyline and it’s a so-called big gamble.

I beg to differ however as the imagery, engaging storyline and contemporary take on sci-fi in Annihilation is likely to attract a broad audience, especially as it can be streamed on Netflix.

Natalie Portman is a Hollywood star and this meaningful film doesn’t disappoint. Paramount may have dropped Annihilation but we can all rejoice in the fact that Netflix has taken it on board and provided us with a quality movie night in.

Zac Fyffe
Zac Fyffe
Passionate about writing and sharing my experiences with others. Zac has a keen interest in sport and politics in particular. Contact: [email protected]
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