Annihilation

Welcome back to Wheel of Film, the podcast where we spin through cinema one reel at a time. This week, we’re diving headfirst into the eerie shimmer of Annihilation, the 2018 sci-fi thriller directed and written by Alex Garland, adapted from the novel by Jeff VanderMeer.

Annihilation follows Lena, a biologist and former soldier played by Natalie Portman, who joins a team of scientists on a dangerous expedition into “The Shimmer”—a mysterious, mutating zone of alien origin where the laws of nature unravel. As they venture deeper, the team grapples with shifting environments, fractured psyches, and a haunting revelation about change and self-destruction.

The cast also features Oscar Isaac, Gina Rodriguez, Tessa Thompson, and Jennifer Jason Leigh. Produced on a budget of around $40–55 million, the film grossed $43 million worldwide, though it found a wider audience through its streaming release internationally.

Grab your gear and leave your sense of reality at the border—let’s get into Annihilation.

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