Movie review
February 22, 2018 · 115 min · R
Woke Score
Lower is better
Review
Annihilation is a 2018 science fiction horror film written and directed by Alex Garland and loosely based on Jeff VanderMeer's novel. A biologist joins an all-female team of scientists on a secret mission into the Shimmer, a mysterious zone where plants, animals, and people mutate in strange ways. The story focuses on grief, self-destruction, and the fear of losing control over one's own body through striking visuals and tense atmosphere. The entirely female expedition team and several women of color in key roles stand out as audience-visible casting choices, though the film contains no political speeches, identity lectures, or activist messaging.
Breakdown
These are the editorial factors and ratings behind our score for Annihilation.
Woke representation / casting
The all-female main team and inclusion of actresses of color in prominent roles are clearly visible on screen, though the setup matches the novel's premise and shows no obvious identity signaling or story-world mismatch.
Woke political dialogue
The film has zero political speeches, activist arguments, or ideological debates of any kind.
Identity-driven story themes
It explores individual self-identity, grief, and bodily change through mutation, but these remain personal and existential rather than tied to race, gender, or social identity politics.
Western institutional / cultural critique
The story examines universal human self-destruction and fear of the unknown; it offers no modern activist-style attacks on patriarchy, capitalism, systemic racism, or Western institutions.
Woke character or canon changes
The adaptation makes some changes to character details and ending from the novel, but these are artistic rather than ideological; ethnicity notes from later books were not followed, which drew progressive complaints instead of woke-driven updates.
Anti-woke backlash and complaints
Limited online notes in anti-woke circles about the diverse all-female cast exist but remain fringe and mixed; no significant mainstream right-leaning criticism or organized backlash occurred.
Creator track record context
Key creatives lean toward philosophical or ecological themes without strong identity politics; casting directors follow standard industry diversity practices; producers show clean or neutral records on activist issues.
Production
