Annihilation – It’s a Metaphor

Annihilation is based upon a 2014 novel of the same name. And it is director Alex Garland's follow up to his highly acclaimed directorial debut Ex Machina.

Like that title, Annihilation is much more than the sum of its parts. Certainly, it is a Sci-Fi film where a team of women head into the unknown, the Shimmer as its called, to identify the source of the invading entity. But that is just the surface.

Annihilation is also about marital infidelity and the cost our decisions have on the ones we love. The setting is more a metaphorical trapping for how such things irrevocably change us.

Yes, listeners, this is highbrow fare, and it mostly works. The Shimmer provides a haunting setting, one that tests our explorers in a myriad of ways. The deeper they journey, the more of themselves they lose. Plus, there's a gnarly mutant bear that wrecks shit.

Anyway, Annihilation, despite outstanding reviews, did poorly at the box office. It grossed just $43.1 million on a budget estimated to be as high as $55 million. It's unfortunate because like all good Sci-Fi, it's asking you to look beyond just what's on the screen. 

Now, sit back, indulge in a Triple Shakes from Hitchhiker Brewing, and don't watch that recording! I, the Thunderous Wizard (@WriterTLK), Capt. Cash, and Chumpzilla are battling our inner demons in the form of amorphous aliens!

This Week’s Segments:

• Introduction/Plot Breakdown – One way in. No way out! (00:00)
• Lingering Questions – After a word from our brothers in beer at Hop Nation USA, we debate whether this should've flopped. (38:00)
• The "T-Virus" Trivia Challenge – The Double Turn Podcast has a tornado tag versus the mutant bear, and then Capt. Cash challenges the field to trivia about the movie. (49:19)
• Recommendations – We offer our picks for the week and next up: We finish "Hops and Pandemic Flops" with Black Friday! (55:55)

And, as always, hit us up on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram to check out all the interesting factoids—Garland's next film and more—from this week’s episode!

You can find this episode of Hops and Box Office Flops on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Podbean, Spotify, Acast, TuneIn, iHeartRadio, Vurbl, and Amazon Music!

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