Annihilation Book vs Movie 🌱

Jeff Vandermeer's strange yet beautiful book was adapted by Alex Garland into a stunning film starring Natalie Portman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Oscar Isaac. Find out how the two compare!
‎@InktoFilm previous episodes on Annihilation!
• Ep-27 Ink to Film: Ann...
• Ep-28 Ink to Film: Ann...
• Ep-29 Ink to Film: Ann...
my previous book vs movie comparison
• Annihilation Analysis ...
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00:00 intro
01:58 book plot
08:33 the biologist and her husband
13:14 Area X
17:53 the biologist
20:23 the tower and crawler
28:20 movie plot
31:49 self destruction theme
35:30 Lena and her husband
36:13 cancer theme
37:55 movie simplifying the story
39:32 movie visuals
41:33 expedition members
45:40 movie visuals/book vibe
49:06 movie and movie endings
54:30 book vs movie

[@InktoFilm]

I’m so glad we got to revisit this project! Ever since I first read the book, ANNIHILATION lodged itself into my brain like a blast of spores to the face 🍄

[@WhytheBookWins]

Seriously! Definitely a book that stays with you. Glad you guys joined me for this trip into Area X!

[@jahipalmer8782]

The Southern Reach trilogy is (IMO) top-notch fiction. I also really like the movie. I understand how the movie HAS to do a different thing than the books because HOW in the crap would you pull off a visual representation of the books. What's really sexy to me is that the movie is like a refraction of the story. The book is an experience with nuance and shades, but if you look at it directly it may solidify as a story that looks like the movie. Kinda like the movie is a version of a telling of the book that only has a physical form because it was forced to be a movie. I hope that made any sense at all.

[@InktoFilm]

Totally, I think that touches on one of the main reasons we've always loved Annihilation, because it's a story where the nature of adaptation is fundamental to its message--and that's our favorite topic!

[@OHAli]

Omg, I just finished the book a few months ago! I got the trilogy in one big hardcover because it was cheaper than the three individual paperbacks. I went ahead and liked this video but I had to save it for later when I have time to watch it. So excited!! Can’t wait for your analysis. 🤓

[@WhytheBookWins]

The books are so good! And a fourth one is coming out later this year 😁

[@OHAli]

@@WhytheBookWins I only finished Annihilation so far! I should have worded my comment better, lol! But I know I've got them when I'm ready to read them... one thing I hate is finishing a book in a series when I'm super into it and can't run out and get the next one. I live in a smaller area and our borders went out of business years ago... I have gotten books at Walmart before if I can't wait for Amazon. We did get a small one in our mall but it's been awhile since I've been there. If I could've done most series I've read in a format like this (3 books in one hardback) I would've in a heartbeat! Which they probably have them now... (im thinking of Girl with a Dragon Tattoo series, Twilight, Charlaine Harris - Sookie Stackhouse, Laurell K. Hamilton - Anita Blake & Merry Gentry). I would lose it if you did anything on those last two... I know they don't have films, but I have hoped for years they'd do a tv series or films. I appreciate the news about the 4th one though... I hadn't expected that but, yayyyyy!!! 🤓😁

[@ananananabop]

I really enjoyed listening to your discussion! I have only seen the movie, but what I got from it is that it’s more of an allegory than meant to be taken at face value. To exist/love is to change, to change is to destroy your old self, etc. But also, it gives off the feeling that there was some executive meddling somewhere along production to try to make it more of an outright horror movie. And that’s where some of the scenes clashed for me. I did enjoy the movie, especially the design aspects of it. But from what you guys said it sounds like the book would be even more interesting 👀 Oh! Also, I love your “shimmer” shirt for the occasion

[@WhytheBookWins]

Very well said! And yeah, there is so much with the book and is definitely worth check out. And thank you! I bought the shirt specifically for this book/movie 😀

[@InktoFilm]

You should absolutely give the book a try :)

[@MG_Schindler]

Just wanted to say I’m really enjoying your channel! Really appreciate the depths you go to detailing things and thinking things through. It’s so great getting a perspective of both the book and film from one source

[@WhytheBookWins]

Thank you so much! I'm glad you like the content ☺️

[@tophtopherson8920]

omg!!! one of my favorite books and movies🎉

[@InktoFilm]

Both are SO GOOD!

[@ds5436]

I love how you're wearing the shimmer. This is one of my favorite movies, and I'm not a horror fan at all. I think it was really well done and I like how the ending was left ambiguous.

[@WhytheBookWins]

Thanks 😊 Glad you like the movie, despite our critiques it is still really good!

[@tophtopherson8920]

I wish they could have Incorporated the writing into the movie, I know you guys talked about how it's kind of like babbling nonsense; I actually suspect that there is a lot of intentionality behind it. Truly captivating. As a poetic writer myself, I know that I will often use words and phrases that are referencing other pieces of media, though I can't say anyone reading my work would be able to readily identify them unless they happen to have the same particular media diet as mine. The begining section about "the strangling fruit" I think it is communicating something specific but in such a heady and artful way that it could be interpreted any number of ways by potential readers. Which I think is very powerful. What I'm suggesting is that Jeff Vandermeer has an idea of what he means, but his writing doesn't need you to know what he means for it to still be affecting. I haven't looked into it though, that's just my take away

[@InktoFilm]

That's a great point! I absolutely think Vandermeer has an idea of what it means. Reading over it again, I think there are hints that it is talking about the very nature of the force behind area X, or "the strangling fruit" that comes from "the hand of the sinner" and changes the world and everyone in it with "the seeds of the dead" and fruit that reveal the "the fatal softness in the earth." To me, that implies the inherent, yet often unrecognized fragility of life as we know it on Earth. That said, he made sure to obscure the meaning with layers of metaphor and a challenging run-on structure that our mind worries at that meaning rather than uncovering it. Brilliant stuff

[@InktoFilm]

Of course the origin of these words is unknowable, since the crawler is itself (SPOILER WARNING) is a hybrid of some kind between the lighthouse keeper and the entity or entities who are integral to Area X. So whatever meaning can be discerned is impossible to attribute to a wholly inhuman source within the narrative

[@WhytheBookWins]

Yeah the other night on Reddit I saw a thread all about this passage and the meaning behind it! So I would take back what I said in it making no sense at all because if you tag into it enough I'm sure there is meaning.

[@Kaiyanwang82]

I was looking forward this one!

[@WhytheBookWins]

Hope you liked our conversation!

[@Kaiyanwang82]

@@WhytheBookWins Absolutely.

[@InktoFilm]

Thanks for watching!

[@WaterBearReads]

Laura I am so excited to have read an "adult" novel you are covering! Ha ha!! Ever since becoming a parent, I just haven't been getting to movies as much so I never saw the movie! (my husband did and he told me it's disturbing, so I have kind of been afraid to watch it!) But anyway, I loved this book it was one of my favorite books I read last year...in my 2023 top ten! I thoroughly enjoyed your video! Thank you!

[@WhytheBookWins]

That's cool you've tag this one! It's so amazing! Glad you liked the video 😁

[@InktoFilm]

Thanks for watching! And "disturbing" is a fair assessment 😅

[@Ethan-jy7pg]

great video! and channel! Have you considered doing Station 11? I think this is the perfect channel for that story :)

[@WhytheBookWins]

thanks! And I have looked into that one and I have heard great things. I am always more hesitant to do tv shows though since they take up so much time. James and Luke covered it though on Ink to Film so if you head to their channel you can hear their thoughts on it!

[@InktoFilm]

@@WhytheBookWins Thanks for the mention! We'd also love to hear your take on Station Eleven :)

[@BobRobertsMusic]

There's a really interesting analysis of the movie by Folding Ideas here on KZbin. He talks about how the shimmer represents trauma, something they all carry and are consumed or changed by in various ways. From that perspective, I actually find the whole thing much less bleak and kinda hopeful even. When they ask each other in the end, "Are you Lena?" etc, they acknowledge that they're different but also not, the same people but changed by their trauma, but that doesn't necessarily have to be a bad thing. Just like the beautiful nature and animals in the shimmer, this perhaps violent and unasked-for change can still produce something wonderful. So I take their embrace in the end as being at peace with it - something bad happened, it changed them, but it's okay and they'll figure it out together. Maybe it even brought them closer and saved their marriage. Anyway, this was a fun discussion and I definitely need to read the series, sounds amazing!

[@WhytheBookWins]

I love that interpretation! Thanks for sharing and I'm glad you enjoyed our conversation 😊

[@InktoFilm]

Love Folding Ideas! I'll have to check that one out

[@tophers3756]

I considered reading the book after seeing the movie. The many negative comments online about the rest of the series made me decide against it.

[@WhytheBookWins]

I've read the other books in the series and they're excellent!

[@InktoFilm]

From what I hear they are just very different than the first, so I expect readers looking for something more in line with ANNIHILATION might have a strong dislike for the different experience. But I haven't read them (yet), so take that all with a grain of salt!