Annihilation (2018) film review | From death comes life

From destruction comes creation. From death comes life. As the ancient and mystical Grecian infinity symbol, The Ouroboros, suggests, these two states of being are complementary and symbolises cycle of life from birth to death and the constant and continual renewal/recreation of the self. Existentialism is a belief that life begins with the actions, thoughts and feelings of the individual, the acceptance of one’s responsibility for one’s own life and the quality of life thereof. Existential lens makes one see that the creation of an authentic self is something that can only be done by one’s self.

This essay will firstly examine three interrelated articles that will form the theoretical backdrop of this essay, namely: Sanderson’s “Existentialism, Globalisation and the Cultural Other,” Bill Devall’s “The Deep, Long-Range Ecology Movement, 1960–2000,” and Joel Kovel’s “Ecosocialism as a Human Phenomenon,” in an effort to evaluate the role of existentialism in relation to globalization and the current environmental crisis. Secondly, this essay will provide a brief synopsis and thematic analysis of the contemporary film, Annihilation (2018), by screenplay writer and director Alexander Garland. Finally, commentary will be provided in light of what the resonance of the film to the theoretical background suggests about contemporary culture in a postmodern…