I don’t see mention of it yet - and I didn’t read the books - but I thought the movie had some very strong Buddhism influence and message going on?
Annihilation itself was the - badly translated - term for Nirvana in the Victorian era.
I don’t think the movie is just going from point A to B, I think it’s about impermanence, self-discovery and enlightenment. There’s this alien force that is blending everything known in the universe together and it’s either terrifying or comforting depending on your state of mind. It’s been years since I last saw it but iirc there’s the woman who accepts it and immediatly turns into a flower statue, the video of Portman’s husband sitting in a meditative state blasted by light. Then she goes on to fight her ego.
Idk I might need to rewatch it, but I remember the Buddhist overtones were very on the nose.
― ✖✖✖ (Moka), Tuesday, 30 April 2024 17:09 (one month ago) link