12 Movies That Aren't As Pretentious As You Think
11. Annihilation
Like so many "contemplative" sci-fi movies - as in, those with a slower pace and without frequent lightsaber battles - Annihilation is a film readily dismissed as pretentious simply because it dares to take an artful approach to its subject matter. Unsurprisingly, it received a mediocre "C" CinemaScore from general audiences.
However, this is largely a result of writer-director Alex Garland refusing to spoon-feed every last detail to the viewer.
There is room for ambiguity and for the audience to piece aspects of the narrative together themselves, even if he certainly explains enough to make the mind-bending outcome of the third act more-or-less understandable.
It isn't a film for everyone, and that's absolutely fine, but just because it dares to be ambitious, that doesn't mean it's insisting upon itself or presenting a false illusion of import or artistry.