Annihilation: 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Review
The Movie:
Biologist and former soldier Lena (Natalie Portman) is shocked when her missing husband (Oscar Isaac) comes home near death from a top-secret mission into The Shimmer, a mysterious quarantine zone no one has ever returned from. Now, Lena and her elite team must enter a beautiful, deadly world of mutated landscapes and creatures, to discover how to stop the growing phenomenon that threatens all life on Earth.
This was a much anticipated movie in my books and I couldn’t wait to check it out. The thing with anticipation is that sometimes it can end up in disappointment. THANKFULLY this wasn’t the case here and the film exceeded my expectations! It was interesting and thought provoking in the scientific sense as well as being so philosophical. I can easily say that this film needs to be watched at least 2 times to get a grasp of what kind of message is being put out. Even then I feel like you can watch it even more times than that and still get more from it. The biggest thing that is very evident is the visuals in the film. I don’t think that I’ve ever seen anything quite like it and the only way that I could possibly describe it is “grotesquely beautiful” at times. Sounds kinda crazy right? It’s definitely true and upon seeing the film you’ll quickly understand why. I absolutely LOVE films that will keep you dwelling on the story and to me that makes it worth recommending. 9/10
4K Presentation:
It’s easy to see that this film is visually amazing and seeing it in 4K is an experience itself. The colors are so vibrant and crisp throughout and such a big improvement from the standard Blu-ray. The most impressive moments being when you get into the second act of the film. You really get to see a plethora of colors that look fantastic in this format. There is also a great amount of clarity as well which will leave you with your jaw on the floor. This is another fantastic 4K transfer from Paramount and I really hope this trend continues with them.
Special Features:
Part 1 – Southern Research – This 2 part feature looks at the challenges of adapting the book to screen as well as interviews with the actors speaking about their characters.
Part 2 – Area X – Another 2 part feature that focuses on the visuals of the film and how it was to film in the UK as well as shooting the movie in sequence (which rarely happens). Great feature!
Part 3 – To the Lighthouse – The final 2 part feature looks at the science of the film and also how the director was able to make an entertaining film but also one that is thought provoking.
