ANNIHILATION    3.0***

       ”Annihilation” is a thought-provoking science fiction movie that features unseen aliens who are truly alien. At film’s end, there might be some understanding of their motivation and desires, but the mystery is far from fully resolved. It’s a work of science fiction that requires viewers to be engaged and not simply wanting to sit back and watch the special effects. ( If you want a popcorn action film look elsewhere)

A meteor has struck near a lighthouse causing a zone called “The Shimmer,” to take root and expand around it. Those who have gone in to explore it don’t come back. Lena (Natalie Portman) is a biologist whose husband Kane (Oscar Isaac) was one of the men who went. A year later he reappears, but it soon becomes obvious that something is very wrong with him. To try to figure out what’s happened so that she might cure him, Lena volunteers to be part of the next expedition going into the Shimmer.

Without giving away too much, suffice to say that within The Shimmer, nature seems out-of-control, with the 5 woman group – led by psychologist Dr. Ventress (Jennifer Jason Leigh)- encountering increasingly bizarre mutations. As they push onward, it becomes an open question as to whether they will survive. We know that Lena does, since she is relating the story in flashback. That doesn’t mean we can anticipate what has happened to her or the others or, indeed, to her husband.

It should be noted that, without making a big deal about it, this is the story of the five women who comprise the latest expedition . While there are some good scares  and monsters along the way, this is not a movie where the women just scream at an attacking monster waiting for a manly hero to save them. These women may be spooked, but they’re also ready to fight back.

Ultimately, whether the film works depends on your willingness  to suspend disbelief and  acknowledge that the agenda of space aliens may be beyond human understanding.  This is a film that is both disturbing and provocative, leaving viewers to draw their own conclusions.•••

Rated R for violence, bloody images, language and some sexuality