Cellular disintegration as a metaphor for self destruction. This is the common thread that radiates nihilistic consistency throughout the run time. I adore the ghoulish atmosphere of this film. Alex Garland is truly a marvelous writer and filmmaker in my opinion. I think his ability to synthesize complex science fiction content with tangible human conflict really stands out in a world of boring superhero content and lifeless carnival horror as I call it. This film sparks an existential dread within me that I find unshakeable. Watching Natalie Portman’s character, Lena, trudge through “the shimmer”, the parasitic extraterrestrial zone which grows from a meteorite, evokes a nightmarish intensity that only gets more volatile as we sink into the menacing aura of the area. Garland does a fantastic job of using his visuals to aid in the cosmic horror at hand. Skulls morph into plants, plants morph into flesh, flesh morphs into liquid, and the list of monstrosities this zone stirs in the bowl of unwinding DNA only diversifies further. The score by Ben Salisbury and Geoff Barrow is massively effective at also inducing an alien atmosphere to the entire project, constantly distorting with jagged noises adding to the inconceivable world The Shimmer attempts to create. The two sequences in mind where I think the direction, visuals, and music come together to paint a cosmic nightmare seamlessly is the “Human Bear” scene and the final Lighthouse confrontation between our main lead and the “alien.”
The “human bear” sequence is one of the most underrated horror movie encounters I've witnessed in film. The lighting of the scene, by cinematographer Rob Hardy, keeps our characters in the darkness as they witness a member of their crew lose their mind due to the DNA scrambling causing mental instability. The bear from earlier in the film chirps a grueling noise reminiscent of the other member of the crew it ate the night before. Once it enters the actual frame, and attacks our characters, we are subjected to ugly bodily mutation and ungodly psychological disturbance. The lighting subtly reveals the extra teeth, bone, and flayed flesh it’s evolved into. When this scene played out at the screening I attended the surround sound aroused a loathsome sense of fear in my gut. The intensity of the sequence only heightens as our characters try to stay quiet around such an incomprehensible creature. It’s a startling moment that accentuates the overall tone of the film. I think Garland using Lena's struggle with losing her husband to the shimmer as an emotional pretext for self destruction leaves the perfect pressure cooker for the ghastly events to follow.
The final scene in the lighthouse is what I would describe as “pure cinema.” The pretext for Lena’s emotional struggle heightens to a dramatic level when she finally reaches the core of the Shimmer. She enters a lighthouse which exudes a vibrant web like structure almost reminiscent of a hideous nervous system. The camera takes us on an almost silent journey as we witness her swap bodies with her doppleganger and join her husband in death. The visuals, music, and acting from portman are spellbinding. They meld to craft a wondrous dance as she lets go to join her husband in death. The tone of this nightmarish metamorphosis is set with a perfectly soul shattering video of Oscar Issac, her husband in the film, using a phosphorus grenade to end his life. Garland’s command of tone is commendable to me. Even his character writing, which is admittedly fairly weak with the side characters, never manages to dampen his expertise on crafting atmospheric self reflection. Even with Lena being the only fleshed out character we never become bored with the world on display. Natalie Portman also does a fantastic job of playing someone who is desperate to understand the self destructive path her husband took. The release she exuberates when she’s on fire as the lighthouse collapses feels like a sinister release for the audience after indulging in this world of unwinding DNA. The film explodes into a frenzy just for us to sit in silence as we soak in such an odious nightmare. Alex Garland’s work always leaves a void in my chest. A feeling I ponder with the technology and characters he decides to deconstruct unpleasantly. It was announced he is going to retire after his upcoming film, “Civil War”. After reconnecting with this previous work I am saddened to see such a talented creative leave the big screen. I yearn for more films that require such intensive self reflection. Dark Science Fiction is an untapped resource that sadly seems to be dwindling in its numbers. Hopefully, the spirit of “cellular disintegration” as a metaphor and its insidious implications continue to live on with future storytellers of a nihilistic persuasion.
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