re: the ending of "annihilation"

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For those who read the books, remember the tunnel/tower and the crawler. That was a big deal in the book. For those who didn't you'll never know about that creepy shite.

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I'm reading the first book right now and it's been so long since I saw the movie that I forgot they left this out. It was such an unnerving part of the book.

Something I found wild about the movie is that they created a super effective creepy monster (monster that was imitating the colleague while they were tied up) that could have been the complete focus of a weaker movie and it is just used for a bit.

I think they even mention this at one point during the movie but I know a big part of the movie deals with cancer patients fears that they will only be remembered for their final moments of agony instead of what you were previously.

I thought this was a visually beautiful movie that provided a truly unique “alien”.
I think there was an intent to cause the viewer to “experience” something difficult to process/something they’ve never comprehended.

I spoke with a friend and we both thought it’s almost as if the movie was a bit of a psychedelic experience for people that have no experience with psychedelics. I personally think the binaural sounds were extremely effective for disorienting the audience. I truly, truly wish the scene where she views the alien and the screen goes to the fractal display of visuals would have lasted for at least 3 and preferably 5 minutes. This scene made me instantly think of the similar scene in 2001 where the time warp/trip through the universe occurs.

I think “forcing” the audience to sit through an extended visual scene like that would have greatly enhanced the effect of experiencing the unexplainability of something truly alien.

This was absolutely a fantastic movie to have seen in a theater setting.

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It's about self-destruction, and cancer is a strong metaphor for that, but it isn't just about cancer.

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I respectfully disagree. This is about an alien force that enters earth along the beach near or at a lighthouse along the Florida coast. People went in to study, most never came out and those that did were mostly copies of those who went in. Physical copies but with different personalities and the like. It was a complex book and movie and the two additional books pretty much proved that the sinister force in Area X (book), Shimmer (movie) was an alien force, different portal or whatever. The Shimmer/Area X expanded through the three books and unfortunately there was no happy ending. My feeling after reading all three books was the sinister force was ultimately going to take over the area/US/world. Now this is not expressley spelled out in either the movie or books but it wasn't about self destruction. As I recall, the Natalie Portman character in the book changed into a monstrous leviathan and the normal looking replicant (borrow from Blade Runner) returned to Southern Reach.

Anyone who saw the movie and read the books strongly disagree?

Having seen the movie and read the trilogy, I can't say you are wrong. In the book NPs or the biologists husband/copy of husband died quickly of cancer. She knew it was not him and specifically went into AreaX to find him. That's all I have. Enough said on my part. The movie was quite different from the book but intriguing none the less. I have to remember this is not the book board.

FYI if you are not aware the books 1 through 3 are:
Annihilation -- more or less the movie with some major differences. Differences were covered to an extent via different means in the movie
Authority -- those people/government entities like CIA/FBI who ran the Southern Reach Facility
Acceptance -- Those at Southern Reach accept the fate which befalls them. Not a happy ending

There were strange people and events/happenings in all three books. In fact an Authority figure in volume 2 I think follows the remnant of the biologist across the country to what seems like the coast of Maine or Washington State and then they jump in the ocean and are transported back to Area X (The Shimmer). Strange stuff indeed.