Parents' Guide to

Annihilation

By Jeffrey Anderson, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 16+

Amazing but challenging, violent sci-fi isn't for everyone.

Movie R 2018 115 minutes
Annihilation Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

See all
age 14+

Based on 18 parent reviews

swampfoxsouth
swampfoxsouth Parent of 11-year-old
April 9, 2023
age 12+

Annihilation

Infrequent language includes "s--t," "bulls--t," "hell," "damn," "d--k," "son of a bitch," "bastard," "prick," "jackass," "whore." One cut-off use of "f--k," in the phrase "Get the f--k away from me."
swampfoxsouth
swampfoxsouth Parent of 11-year-old
April 9, 2023
age 12+

Annihilation

Infrequent language includes "s--t," "bulls--t," "hell," "damn," "d--k," "son of a bitch," "bastard," "prick," "jackass," "whore." One cut-off use of "f--k," in the phrase "Get the f--k away from me."
See all 18 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In ANNIHILATION, biologist Lena (Natalie Portman) is mourning the loss of her soldier husband, Kane (Oscar Isaac). Then he suddenly shows up, extremely disoriented and unable to remember anything. But when Lena tries to take him to the hospital, they're intercepted and taken instead to a secret government facility. There, Lena learns about The Shimmer, a mysterious force that has appeared out of nowhere and seems to be expanding. All efforts to enter into it have met with failure; no one has come back alive except Kane. Teaming up with four other women -- Dr. Ventress (Jennifer Jason Leigh), Anya (Gina Rodriguez), Josie (Tessa Thompson), and Cass (Tuva Novotny) -- Lena volunteers to go into the unknown area, hoping to save her husband as well as solve the mystery. But what she finds inside is beyond even her wildest expectations.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (18):
Kids say (34):

Alex Garland's second directorial outing after the excellent Ex Machina, this brainy, metaphysical sci-fi is even more ambitious and more amazing. But its challenging conclusion could be a hard sell. Based on Jeff VanderMeer's novel, Annihilation slightly resembles Andrei Tarkovsky's Stalker (1979), a highly artistic masterpiece from a much braver time, when audiences were less likely to balk at ambiguity. Like Ridley Scott did in Blade Runner 2049, Garland combines unusual, imaginative visuals, ideas, and sounds with more traditional audience-aimed thrills -- but he does so far more seamlessly than Scott. The film is less focused on climactic battles, instead heading toward a far more poetic, surreal ending.

The shape of Annihilation is nothing short of brilliant, with a linear, minimalist starting point that consists of simple, straightforward images (like a lighthouse). It then opens up like a strange, exotic flower, following different offshoots to new, unexpected points in its unpredictable world. The movie is admirable for featuring five women (and no men) as the characters who embark on the journey; Portman's performance especially makes it an emotional one. But given that the movie is sometimes creepy and perhaps even unsettling, it sets itself up as being more of a cult favorite than a mainstream hit -- it's closer to 2001: A Space Odyssey than to Star Wars. Still, if you prefer your sci-fi deep, then you're in for a treat.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about Annihilation's violence. How do the scenes with blood and gore compare to the more indescribable, creepy scenes? How did they all affect you? What's the impact of media violence on kids?

  • Why is it noteworthy that the main characters in this film are mostly women? Are they role models? Why or why not?

  • How does this story compare to other sci-fi movies you've seen? Are some movies based more on ideas than action? Which do you prefer?

  • The film has drawn some criticism for potentially "whitewashing" some of the key roles. Have you heard this term before?

  • Does this movie have an ambiguous ending? What do you think happens?

Movie Details

Inclusion information powered by

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

See all recommended movie lists

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate