Chris Hardwick's Blog, page 1827

How 3 New Characters Will Affect STRANGER THINGS 3

It’s been too long since we’ve checked in on the residents of Hawkins during Stranger Things 2.  But now that Stranger Things 3 is getting closer to production, a new report has shed some light on the latest characters to visit Netflix’s wildly popular homage to the ’80s. In fact, some of these characters may even hint at potential story directions for the third season. Today’s Nerdist News is turning things Upside Down as we look for answers!

Join host and Justice for Mews chairwoman, Jessica Chobot, as she runs down the trio of characters who may have pivotal roles in Stranger Things 3. That Hashtag Show revealed that the show is currently looking for performers to play Mayor Larry Kline, a “morally compromised news reporter” named Bruce, and Patricia Brown, an elderly woman who gives advice to the neighborhood children.

Mayor Kline is  “a classic, 80’s style slick politician,” and his presence in the story suggests that the townspeople may have finally noticed there have been a lot of strange things going on. If so, we believe that Kline’s role will be similar to that of the mayor in Jaws, and that he’ll do anything to keep a lid on Hawkins’ darker secrets. And what if Patricia has more than life lessons to offer to the kids? She could potentially have stories to share about the supernatural and super science events in Hawkins that go back long before Eleven and the other super-powered children escaped.

As for Bruce, the fact that he’s already described as “compromised” suggests that he’ll be playing a role in keeping the Hawkins coverup alive. Bruce could also be a rival to Murray Bauman, the ex-journalist who helped Jonathan and Nancy expose part of the conspiracy in season 2.

What do you think about the potential new characters of Stranger Things 3? Let’s turn things up to Eleven in the comment section below!

Images: Netflix

The Millennium Falcon Bedroom Has It Where It Counts

When parents pass on their adoration of Star Wars to their kids, magic happens. They can have lightsaber fights and practice using the Force together, and they can plot a bedroom makeover. Constructing a Millennium Falcon cockpit and turning it into a bed is a tried and true decor improvement we’ve seen before, and Redditor Dericrw is continuing the tradition. Via Geeks Are Sexy, Dericrw and his wife gave their kids’ room a galactic makeover, and the fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy is the centerpiece.

Star Wars Bedroom: Millennium Falcon

Be sure to flip through the entire album. It so isn’t garbage.

The Falcon’s bolted to the ceiling, so it’s not jumping into lightspeed anytime soon, but it looks ready. Dericrw and his wife went all in, spending about a month working on the room’s design and construction. The spaceship is surrounded by a Star Wars mural, an Imperial-style pillbox LED wall, and the bed itself has a cockpit area that would be the most perfect place to read. If I were one of the parents in this situation, I’d consider booting the kids to the master bedroom so I could have the Millennium Falcon to myself. Only a twin-size bed fits inside the construction, but look, we all have to make sacrifices.

Would you ever want to transform a room into a Star Wars ship or location? What would you choose? Tell us your plans in the comments.

Featured Image: Lucasfilm

Amy Ratcliffe is an Associate Editor for Nerdist. She likes Star Wars a little. Follow her on Twitter.

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Michael B. Jordan Wants to Burn All the Books in First FAHRENHEIT 451 Teaser

As explained in the tagline for Ray Bradbury‘s classic dystopian novel, Fahrenheit 451, the title refers to the temperature at which books and paper burn. That’s fitting because the lead character is a fireman whose entire purpose in life is to torch books in a future where all printed materials have been banned. Later this year, Creed and Black Panther star Michael B. Jordan will headline a new adaptation of Fahrenheit 451 as Gus Montag. And as you can see in HBO’s first teaser for the film, Gus is ready to “burn” and very enthusiastic about his work.



Since Fahrenheit 451‘s first movie adaptation in 1966, things have changed. Ramin Bahrani co-wrote and directed the modern take on this tale, which also features Michael Shannon as Beatty, Gus’ mentor. The trailer doesn’t shed much light on the story for anyone who isn’t familiar with the original tale. Instead, it focuses on a time when Gus was a true believer in burning books and suppressing information.

Assuming the film will follow the novel’s story, Gus will eventually have an awakening that causes him to question everything he knows. And his willingness to change will end the life Gus has known and send him off on an uncertain path towards other outcasts who share his ideals and beliefs.

 

Fahrenheit 451 will premiere on HBO in May.

Are you excited to see Jordan in this modern update of Fahrenheit 451? Let us know in the comment section below!

Images: HBO

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FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST is Beautiful But Hollow (Review)

The good news about the live-action Fullmetal Alchemist movie from Netflix and Warner Bros. is that when it’s silly, it’s fun. The bad news is that when it tries to get serious, it gets silly. There’s a juvenile streak running through the entirety of director Fumihiko Sori’s adaptation that boosts the broad comedy but absolutely batters any moment trying to be deep and sincere.

For those unfamiliar with Hiromu Arakawa’s manga series, the story focuses on two alchemist brothers, Edward (Ryôsuke Yamada) and Alphonse (Atom Mizuishi), who lose their mother at a young age and nearly destroy themselves trying to bring her back. Alphonse loses his body, and his soul is transferred into a giant suit of armor. Edward loses his arm and leg and gains the ability to transmute without a Transmutation Circle. They both grow up to be talented alchemists with the ability to shape elements in the world around them. Together with their childhood friend/mechanic Winry Rockbell (Tsubasa Honda), they search for the Philosopher’s Stone, which has the power to restore the bodies they lost, while uncovering a diabolical military conspiracy.

Fullmetal Alchemist gets off to a fantastic start. The opening features the brothers’ youthful tragedy and a quirky fight scene showcasing their grown-up talents. The CGI nails the sweet spot between realism and unreal, creating a perfect living cartoon. The European-esque vistas of the industrial era country of Amestris are also stunning, from the bursting green contrast of a tree-lined cobblestone road to the sunlit dust of an alchemist’s personal library. Likewise, Ed’s costume and the military regalia for the distrusting Roy Mustang (Dean Fujioka) and genial Maes Hughes (Ryûta Satô) are a cosplayer’s dream.

Yamada is charming as Ed, emoting mostly by scrunching his face and channeling the classic anime hero vibe. Brash, brilliant, and hot-tempered, the Ed of this adaptation is definitely childish, and an almost unwitting participant in the larger story who just wants to get a Philosopher’s Stone, get his brother’s body back, and be on his way despite the pesky, country-destroying threat that’s landed at his feet.

That threat, specifically, comes from three Homunculi, artificial humans crafted from our darker desires. The characters are drawn beautifully, like goth kids gifted horrible magic powers even though they’d rather be smoking behind the cafeteria. Their leader, Lust (Yasuko Mastuyuki), is a brooding queen whose fingers become steel spikes with a thought, while Envy (Kanata Hongô) can take on anyone’s appearance and Gluttony (Shinji Uchyama) devours dozens with glee.

Their plan collides with Ed’s goal in an expected way, but the road to get their is bumpy and full of detours.

The underlying problem with Fullmetal Alchemist is that it fills its overlong two-hour-and-15-minute runtime with lengthy sequences that are forgotten by the following scene. The worst is a red herring quest to find Lab 5 that sends Ed, Al, and Winry to an abandoned building where Ed and Al fight (under ridiculously contrived circumstances), stare at each other for an eternity, and then don’t sweat it the rest of the movie. It would be fine if the movie dipped occasionally into episodic storytelling, but Sori and company do very little to weave those moments into the main plot or, even more wastefully, to utilize that time to build to a bigger impact by the end.

As a result, the middle of Fullmetal Alchemist heading all the way to the climax is stretched to the breaking point of attention. Scenes of emotional devastation are presented solely with one character (almost always Ed) gnashing his teeth and rending his garments for such an egregiously long time that it becomes silly and repetitive. For a movie aimed at middle schoolers, it’s an awfully long slog to earn the goofy CGI-fueled final battle.

To its credit, the movie goes to some bizarre places, notably with chimera alchemist Shou Tucker (Yô Ôlzumi) and sequences at the ethereal Gate of Truth, but Ed is so singularly focused and just so overcome with emotions all the time that his grief devolves into a train station announcement cycling on repeat. He just wants his brother’s body back. He just wants his brother’s body back. He just wants his brother’s body back. Saving the world is a side effect.

It’s a shame that the other characters aren’t given any room to breath, that so much of the weight of the story is on Ed’s small shoulders. Winry is shamefully reduced to damsel status, and Al—for all of Ed’s focused devotion—acts like a kind of pet who arrives to battle just in time but disappears from scenes as soon as he’s unnecessary. In that same vein, perhaps the strangest element of the movie is the sincere lack of action after the opening established how talented these young alchemists are. There are too many scenes where Ed, under threat, stares in confusion instead of leaping headlong into the fight.

This couldn’t have been an easy series to distill into one movie, but even so, the thinness of the plot doesn’t do justice to the characters or the jaw-dropping visuals and design.

2.5 equivalently exchanged burritos

Images: Netflix

 

THE WALKING DEAD’s “Honor” Gives Us More Old Man Rick Theories

Warning: Spoilers are ahead for the season eight of  The Walking Dead . Keep reading at your own risk.

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After being bitten while out fighting zombies with Saddiq, The Walking Dead’s extended episode, “Honor,” shows us how Carl spends his last day: imparting his own wisdom and compassion on the hard-hearted Rick. He implores Rick to return to his former self, back when Rick was more willing to place diplomacy above violence and see beyond simple tribalism to creating a more beneficial future for all. It’s a painfully emotional episode where Rick’s agony is layered by Michonne’s, who feels as if she’s losing a surrogate son and best friend, layered by the audience’s own misery as we figure out how to say goodbye to a young character gone too soon, too swiftly—especially considering Carl is alive in the comics. With “Honor” beginning with Michonne and Rick having to dig a grave, none of this feels remotely easy or natural, and I found myself crying intermittently throughout.

The episode also included the return of the hazy future visions and Old Man Rick—except the visions came with a twist. This time the vision begins as Carl narrates over it, describing the kind of future Carl imagines for Alexandria, the Hilltop, and the Kingdom, long after he has passed.

This opens up several possibilities for these visions. The most obvious one implies this isn’t the future at all, but a hope for the future existing entirely in Carl’s mind. In this vision, we don’t see Carl at all, but track a visibly older Judith as she travels through the town.  

This doesn’t exactly jive with the vision we saw in episode one of the season, though: in that sequence, Carl is shown to be very much alive. This leads to another possibility. Maybe the Carl Rick sees in the earlier vision is actually a ghost. In the show, Rick suffers delusions in the wake of Lori’s death—a death “Honor” is keen to bring up again. Back in season three, Rick hallucinated speaking to Lori in the prison on a dead phone line, but by the end of the season, Rick recovered.

In the comics Lori’s death haunts Rick for much longer, and he carries the same phone with him until the Negan storyline. The comics and the show tend to trade off on details; some characters die sooner, others later, and characters get altered. It’s possible Rick’s briefer mourning period for Lori in the show will be substituted for a much longer grieving period for Carl, manifesting in Rick imagining Carl is still present when he’s not, even years later.

If you want to go into the deep end and really wallow in the darkest timeline, there are even theories comparing the gauzy, atmospheric cinematography in these sequences to the same style we see in season seven, when Rick dreams of having dinner with Glenn and Abraham, long after they’ve both been beaten to death. This theory supposes this repeated vision may be telling us Judith and even Michonne, are not long for this world.

This episode’s dream sequence ends with a new, disturbing inclusion: the last person older Judith greets, smiling and gardening among the Alexandrians, is none other than a plaid-wearing Negan himself. While the entire episode centers around Carl telling Rick he can’t just kill every single Savior if he wants there to be anything left for after, it feels like a huge disconnect to have the leader who orchestrated the deaths of Rick’s friends just casually wandering about. Is this a dream or a nightmare? Isn’t it too unrealistic to rehabilitate Negan to this degree?

This, again, is a departure from the source material. It’s Rick who tells Carl Negan has to live, not the other way around, in the comics. In issue 126 of the comic, Rick says to Carl and Andrea:

“That’s not who we are. That’s not what we do. That’s..it’s who we were. We’ve all killed to survive…we’ve hurt so many who wanted to do us harm. That’s how we made it—how we got here. But now that we’re here we have a chance to change that.”

Rick subdues Negan. First, he levels with Negan about how you can actually cooperate with, rather than subjugate, people, and second, he slashes his throat—before telling Negan he’s “going to rot in jail until you die an old man.” Rick believes showing Negan how much they thrive without him is a suitable punishment; unsurprisingly, folks in the community disagree, but nevertheless it’s true that during peacetime, Negan is confined to a cage. Negan later gets out and seems to finally come to terms with his own sins in issue 174, but between all those issues he never reaches the sort of acceptance that would allow him to happily roam among Rick’s people, as the dream sequence shows us.

It’s hard to say at this point what these visions mean. With Carl’s death marking the biggest departure from the comics to date, we’re at the point in the show where the two properties could seriously diverge. And with Maggie’s Lauren Cohan leaving the show after this season as well, it feels like The Walking Dead is at a tipping point. In the comics there’s a time skip to help better set up Carl in a leadership role; with him gone, will a time skip even happen? With the loss of two key characters, where do we go from here?

Tell us your theories in the comments below!

Images: AMC

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You Can Help Underprivileged Kids See A WRINKLE IN TIME for Free

We think next month’s big screen adaptation of the beloved literary classic A Wrinkle In Time will have a cultural significance that transcends most films, in the same way Wonder Woman and Black Panther have. But we’re not the only ones who believe it will prove important and meaningful to so many, which is why a new partnership between Color of Change organization and AMC Theatres will be sending underprivileged kids to see it for free. And you can help make it happen.

Accomplishing extraordinary things begins with believing that you can. In cities across the country, people are pledging to #GiveAChildTheUniverse! Give the gift of access and FREE tickets so that deserving children can see @WrinkleInTime https://t.co/1FWGTC2Nby pic.twitter.com/OzwBXHG1Gt

— ColorOfChange.org (@ColorOfChange) February 23, 2018

The non-profit Color of Change, “the nation’s largest online racial justice organization,” is currently running its “Give a Child the Universe” campaign to make sure as many kids and teenagers as possible get to attend a screening of A Wrinkle in Time free of charge at AMC Theatres next month.

“Give A Child The Universe” encourages individual and group benefactors to purchase and donate tickets to the movie, enabling underprivileged children to see A Wrinkle in Time at a matinee showing at a local AMC Theatres location beginning March 9. Using the donations, Color of Change will distribute tickets to a host of local partners, schools, and community-based organizations, allowing children to enjoy this highly anticipated film about empowerment and family on opening day.

For every ten dollar contribution, AMC will provide one ticket. So for as little as what you might spend on coffee for two days, you can personally make sure one kid who might not otherwise be able to afford it gets to see the movie. That’s a pretty cheap price to give a child the universe. You can donate at Color of Change here; the campaign runs through March.

A Wrinkle in Time arrives in theaters on March 9.

Why do you think this movie will be so important? Tell us why in the comments below.

Images: Disney

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Killmonger Gets His Own BLACK PANTHER Deluxe Figure

The Black Panther movie has proven to be a defining moment for the title hero and his supporting cast. It’s also firmly established Killmonger as Black Panther’s greatest adversary, thanks to an unforgettable performance by Michael B. Jordan. Earlier this month, Hot Toys showed off its deluxe Black Panther that placed T’Challa in his new suit. Now it’s Killmonger’s turn. The battle for Wakanda’s soul can be recreated on your shelves.

Hot Toys has officially unveiled its sixth scale figure of Erik “Killmonger” Stevens in his Golden Jaguar suit originally meant for the Black Panther himself. In the film, T’Challa thought the gold made him too conspicuous, but Killmonger isn’t afraid to stand out on the world stage. He wants to burn everything down and rule over the new order.

The deluxe Killmonger figure will have over 32 points of articulation, as well as eight interchangeable hands and a sword and a spear he carries into battle against the forces loyal to T’Challa. A new head sculpt based upon Jordan’s likeness will be revealed too, and you can swap it out with this version’s head.

Hot Toys hasn’t set an exact release date for the Killmonger figure, but the company estimates it will ship in either the second or third quarter of 2019. You can view more photos of the statue in the gallery below.

What do you think about the Killmonger deluxe figure? Share your thoughts in the comment section!

Images: Hot Toys

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BLACK PANTHER’S Letitia Wright MC’ing in Her Shuri Costume Is the Best Thing

Everybody loves Black Panther. The Marvel movie has been breaking records left, right, and center, with critics and fans alike showering praise on the groundbreaking film. One of the movie’s breakout stars is undoubtedly Letitia Wright, whose portrayal of T’Challa’s super smart sister Shuri was one of the highlights of an already amazing film. Wright didn’t just kill it on the screen but off it too, as Lupita Nyong’o has been sharing on her Twitter account. She shared a video of Wright MC’ing on the set of Black Panther while in costume, gaining her the moniker “Baby Underbite.”

Part 1 / The birth of MC Baby Underbite. @LetitiaWright featuring @Winston_Duke, @ImAngelaBassett & @DanaiGurira. Name inspired by this dope costume by @IAmRuthECarter. #BlackPanther #BTS pic.twitter.com/XsbdE1flKq

— Lupita Nyong’o (@Lupita_Nyongo) February 23, 2018

We’re so grateful to Nyong’o for sharing this unabashed joy with us, especially as everyone’s favorite vegetarian: M’Baku, a.k.a. Winston Duke, was providing Baby Underbite with her beats. And it keeps getting better: the wonderful Angela Bassett and Danai Gurira acted as her hype-women! This behind the scenes Black Panther jam is honestly one of the best things we’ve seen all year, and we cannot wait for Nyong’o to (hopefully) leak MC Baby Underbite’s mixtape.

Part 2 / The birth of MC Baby Underbite. @LetitiaWright featuring @Winston_Duke, @ImAngelaBassett & @DanaiGurira. Name inspired by this dope costume by @IAmRuthECarter. #BlackPanther #BTS pic.twitter.com/k1BbdqCUhi

— Lupita Nyong’o (@Lupita_Nyongo) February 23, 2018

We loved checking out Wright’s bars and can’t wait to see what magical talents she reveals next. What was your favorite line from her verse? Loved Shuri in Black Panther? Just want to see what Letitia does next? Let us know below.

Image: Marvel

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Luke and Kylo Ren’s THE LAST JEDI Showdown Recreated in BATTLEFRONT II

After watching Luke Skywalker spend most of the The Last Jedi moping around Ahch-To guzzling green milk from a monster, I wasn’t positive he would rise to the occasion and be the hero the galaxy far, far away so desperately needed. That’s why his ultimate sacrifice in delaying Kylo Ren and the First Order long enough for the Resistance to escape was so powerful. In fact, it’s such an incredible scene even recreations of it move me, like in this fantastic fan-made one created in Star Wars Battlefront II.

This great video comes from the YouTube channel UndeadPathfinder.  They managed to include all the major elements from the epic Kylo Ren and Luke Skywalker showdown on Crait. Playing both characters and filming entirely in Arcade, this impressive recreation required mods from multiple people for the capeless Kylo Ren, the younger-looking projection Luke, old shaggy-haired Luke on Ahch-To, and a gorgeous map version of Crait at sunset.

Even if you weren’t a fan of the film, this is an incredible homage to the scene. It even tops the great 16-bit version we told you about before. However we can’t help but wonder how funny it would look if it was recreated using the Battlefront II mod of Kylo’s Undercover Boss persona “Matt the Radar Technician.”

What other scene from The Last Jedi would you love to see recreated in Battlefront II? Project your best suggestion in the comments below.

Featured Image: UndeadPathfinder_

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13 Movies to Watch After ANNIHILATION

Alex Garland‘s Annihilation is truly singular; a skewered mind-warp that blends hard sci-fi with themes of loneliness, mental instability, and self-destruction. Like the best of its genre, the human elements transcend the monstrous creature work and bold visuals. This movie cuts to the bone, literally and figuratively. The sort of experience where it takes several minutes into the credits to gather your sensibilities.

That sort of mind-melding, transcendent cinematic experience is rare, a once-every-few-years phenomenon. Films like Annihilation are beloved, studied, approximated–and divisive. When creators go bold, they risk isolating the audience. But without the giant leaps, the form would stick in amber. Love it or hate it, Annihilation evolves the medium’s possibilities. From rapturous, bold-stroke filmmaking to stories of camaraderie and perseverance, here are 13 other films sharing some reflective shimmer DNA with Annihilation.

Warning: slight spoilers for Annihilation are below.

Ex Machina (2015), dir. Alex Garland

Garland made his directorial debut with this audacious AI flick, one that asks the big questions: what makes someone human, and what are the ramifications of sentient machines? It features a star-making performance by Alicia Vikander as robot Ava, with Oscar Isaac as her genius egomaniac creator and Domhnall Gleeson as a man who tests her capacity to feel attachment and attraction. Ex Machina is a little more accessible than the other films on this list, but it’s not any less smart. The chilling ending and implications are bold moves, defying resolution for a more indelible final note.

The Fountain (2006), dir. Darren Aronofsky

Darren Aronofsky is the mind-fuck master. Requiem for a Dream still makes us squirm, Black Swan is hauntingly everlasting, and mother! is a nasty slap in the face. But The Fountain is harder to categorize. It’s a meditation on grief, on immortality, on the cyclical, galactic power of love. Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz are magnetic as fated lovers, their story spread into three interwoven timelines. It’s not an easy movie, but it’s a rewarding one–an experience you’ll never forget.

Under the Skin (2013), dir. Jonathan Glazer

The sequences of Scarlett Johansson‘s man-eating alien slinking around an inky-black void are reminiscent of Annihilation‘s third act cave scene. Both films are extraterrestrial in nature, and their alien designs are strikingly similar. But the unnamable horror palpitating through Under the Skin is its own kind of monster. The plot is thin but the visuals are demanding, a specious dreamworld of illogical bodily betrayal.

The Stalker (1979), dir. Andrei Tarkovsky

Tarkovsky’s fingerprints are all over Annihilation. In fact, the movie is something of an all-female reboot of the Soviet maestro’s most hallowed film. The Stalker follows two men who are guided by a mysterious “Stalker,” who leads them through an area known as the Zone in pursuit of a room said to grant the wishes of anyone who steps inside.

Solaris (1972), dir. Andrei Tarkovsky 

The Stalker isn’t the only Tarkovsky film that shares a visual and thematic familiarity with Annihilation. Solaris, about a space station orbiting a mysterious planet, its crew members suffering emotional crises during their pursuit of science, is similarly visual, and also handles the interiority of a team of scientists as they soar head-first into the inexplicable.

Arrival (2016), dir. Denis Villeneuve 

Though their basic plot is pretty different, there’s something about the mood of Arrival that is absolutely present in Annihilation. Both are dreamy, non-specific sci-fi stories with a complicated female lead using an assignment to work through personal baggage. Both stories slowly peel back the layers of their leads through flashbacks and forwards. And both are about letting go, moving on, and learning not to hate yourself.

The Tree of Life (2011), dir. Terrence Malick

It’s hard to think of a movie quite as divisive as Malick’s The Tree of Life. It follows no template, no regulative timeline. It’s a “film,” technically, but it’s meant to be felt more than seen. That’s a tall order for anyone, and The Tree of Life was made famous for its Cannes boos and theater walk-outs. The film is a difficult but singular experience stretching through time and space to tell what is, ultimately, the small story of a Texan family grappling with unspeakable loss. The contrast of personal vs. universal is equally present in Annihilation.

The Thing (1982), dir. John Carpenter

Carpenter’s adaptation of a 1938 John W. Campbell, Jr. novella is a horror classic. Its grand motives are a little less lofty than Annihilation‘s, but its body and creature horror is matched. You think Annihilation‘s screaming bear is terrifying? The Thing‘s head-separation scene is still seared into our brains, decades later. Both movies are full of oddly splayed corpses and the utterly inexplicable, and both are tense rides start to finish.

Upstream Color (2013), dir. Shane Carruth 

Humans affected by an unknown parasite, their behavior growing erratic. We follow it through its various stages. Cells and memories merge. A dreamlike stasis takes over. These events unfurl in both Upstream Color and Annihilation–two films about disease, mutations, and re-evaluating the human condition. Carruth is a directorial force, a creator whose work demands to be seen, felt, dissimulated.

The Ruins (2008), dir. Carter Smith

Truth be told, The Ruins was made merely to be endured. It’s an exercise in the most despicable and grotesque body horror, and at times it’s an unbearable bloodbath. It follows a group of friends vacationing in Mexico who are infected with insidious, bone-lacing vines that wriggle their way inside and don’t let go. If the notion reminds you of a certain abdomen-opening moment midway through Annihilation, you’re not alone.

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), dir. Stanley Kubrick 

This is probably the most obvious entry on this list. So much of the last act of Annihilation is reminiscent of the end of Kubrick’s sci-fi magnum opus. The colors, the avant-garde camerawork, the music and sound design replacing the spoken word as matter is dissected and reassembled.

The Descent (2005), dir. Neil Marshall 

Ladies walking straight into cave danger? Check. But don’t be fooled. Neil Marshall’s all-female horror-action flick shares more than just surface-level comparisons with Annihilation. Like the best genre entries, the human stories are the most interesting bits, and that’s certainly the case with The Descent, which follows a team of spelunkers on what is meant to be a routine cave exploration. It all goes to hell when they realize the cave is full of blood-thirsty vampire monsters.

Interstellar (2014), dir. Christopher Nolan

Nolan’s space odyssey isn’t as elegant as it wants to be; the dialogue is clunky, the themes a little ham-fisted, and the characters only vaguely fleshed out. But its ambition carries you through. The space sequences are awe-inspiring, and its take on extraterrestrial life–that it is, in some stretch of understanding, refracted humanity–is very similar to Annihilation‘s cave creature. The scientists on this film have larger aspirations (to save humankind) but share pathologies with the Annihilation crew.

What other films would you recommend watching after Annihilation? Let us know in the comments.

Images: Paramount, A24, Warner Bros. Pictures, Mosfilm, Fox Searchlight, Universal, VHX, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Pathé, Legendary Pictures

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