Annihilation is a popular movie in the Sci-Fi horror segment. This movie has been on the list of many people as one of the best movies in the horror segment. Alex Garland has ensured he does not leave the audience with a moment to rest. He has kept a good pace for the movie which allows the viewers to view all of the arts properly and keeps building a sense of anticipation among them. Movies Like Annihilation goes by the phrase expect the unexpected. The movie showcases a lot of mutant animals which is something that was not exactly expected by their viewers.
Natalie Portman provides great leadership to the crew. She dons the role of the central protagonist well and executes her role with perfection. The main plot revolves around an all-female squad that is sent to investigate an unknown entity. The all-female lead role has helped the movie remove the barriers which portrayed the male actors as the heroes who come to save the women who are always in a position of a damsel in distress.
Here is the list of the 10 Best Movies Like Annihilation You Must Watch In 2023.
The Mist
Available at Amazon Prime | Netflix
One of the top movies which have a similar plot to Annihilation is The Mist. released in 2007, The Mist was directed by Frank Darabont. He has based the movie on the popular novel of the same name by Stephen King. The movie revolves around the unusual happenings in the town of Bridgton, Maine.
The characters of David Drayton, his wife Stephanie, and their 8-year-old son are the main characters whose actions are focused upon in this movie. The movie starts with the arrival of a strong thunderstorm in the town. This forces its inhabitants to take shelter. This strong storm damages their house and leaves destruction in its wake.
When the family goes outside to check these damages to their house, they find a thick mist covering their entire town. David takes his son and accompanies their neighbor to get some supplies and they get stuck there. They soon realize that the mist hides a creature that has an affinity towards killing humans. The movie perfectly utilizes the element of an unknown to keep its viewers hooked to the movie. Like Annihilation, there is an element of trying to understand this unknown and deal with it
Arrival
Available at Amazon Prime
If you love the sci-fi nature of annihilation but are looking to avoid all of the action-packed scenes, Arrival is the movie for you. This movie has taken a different approach towards aliens and the unknown. The theme of this movie is the attempt of trying to communicate with aliens who have landed on Earth. The movie has Amy Adams taking the lead role and she is supported by the superb acting done by Jeremy Renner and Forest Whitaker.
The main character is a sought-after linguistic expert. The movie shows the sudden arrival of aliens but their intentions are unknown. Many alien pods arrive on Earth and people are left confused as to what the course of action should be. World leaders get perplexed as to the steps that should be taken along. They were trying to understand if these aliens posed any threat to the planet. The main character was brought in as a part of a team to try and communicate with the aliens.
Unlike many of the typical alien movies, it does not start with an all-out war between humans and aliens. The main character must try to understand their language. She is placed on a strict schedule. With the future of humanity resting in her hands, the movie shows her race against time. Will she be able to understand them or will the world be plunged into chaos?
Interstellar
Available at Amazon Prime
Interstellar shows the effects of the depletion of resources on Earth. The depleted resources have led to humanity being on its last stand. This movie starts by following up on the theme of Earth being a lost cause and the search for other planets with suitable habitats. Christopher Nolan through his genius writing has created a masterpiece of space-time travel which has become one of the best movies in this genre in the years to come. Nolan has written and directed another masterpiece in the form of Interstellar.
Unlike many other movies in this genre, the movie does not have unrealistic ec=vents occurring in it. The concepts used in the movie have been well researched and have proper scientific backing. With a sandstorm hitting the earth most of the natural vegetation has been hampered. This storm has destroyed crops and food sources which puts the survival and the life of the people on Earth at risk. Cooper who is a pilot and a retired engineer stumble upon a NASA base near his house.
He is allowed to venture into the unknown. He is asked to go on a mission that would take him into a wormhole. They believed he was key for this mission to succeed. Cooper is faced with the choice of either staying back or trying to secure a future for his kids. The movie is similar to Annihilation in the sense of the protagonist trying to help their family member survive.
Under The Skin
Available at Amazon Prime
Scarlett Johansson stars in this Horror and Sci-fi thriller. The movie matches the extraterrestrial theme of Annihilation. The movie explores the region of sci-fi horror. Jonathan Glazer has made this movie to bring a new dimension into the horror segment. The movie does not fit perfectly into any category. This movie carved out a space for itself somewhere between a horror and a sci-fi thriller. The movie introduces its viewers to the main character of the movie which is played by Scarlett Johansson. The scene begins with the main character trying to tone their voice to fit the perfect Scottish accent.
The initial scene manages to set the expectation for the entire movie. There is a sense of mystery surrounding the woman and her intentions. She is seen changing her clothes and roaming in Scotland in her white van. She aims to seduce men while roaming in her van. The movie uses a sense of anticipation to keep its viewers on their toes. With the viewers trying to understand the true intentions of the woman the movie can keep hold of the attention of their audience. The complexity of human emotions and their life starts to affect the protagonist and it remains to be seen what happens further in the movie. If you want a movie that replicates what Annihilation does you should give this a watch.
Blade Runner 2049
Available at Amazon Prime
Blade Runner 2049 is the sequel to the first movie in the Blade Runner Franchise. A major reason for the popularity of his movie is the new benchmarks it created in that genre. The movie has a good storyline which is assisted by great visual effects. The movie has ensured they remain linked to their roots and do not forget their origin.
Due to this, you will be able to recognize the similarities between the background of this movie and the first movie of this franchise. Denis Villeneuve does a fantastic job as the director of the movie. He understands the concept of striking a balance between striking the elements of the original movie while trying to explore and integrate new concepts into the movie.
Blade Runner 2049 has based on a modern world where robots and humans are integrated into a joint society. This movie follows the story of ‘K’ who is an LAPD officer. As a part of his assignment, he is given the task of killing all of the older versions of the Android robot. ‘K’ is a ruthless officer who is hell-bent on sticking to his duty.
He does not question the morality of the job which has been given to him. By the time he researches the last line of obsolete robots he must execute, he starts to question the job he is given and unearths something which would change tier current world and even plunge it into chaos. Ryan Renold does a brilliant job as the main character of the movie. The movie starts as just another sci-fi movie but soon takes a turn that propels it to the next level.
Ex Machina
Available at Amazon Prime | Netflix
A beautiful story supplemented with a lot of emotions and a new concept is something that is right up the alley of Alex garland. Many regard Ex Machina to be the best movie of Alex garland. With this movie, he has made a place for himself as one of the top directors in this particular theme.
The concept of human motions being replicated by a robot has been shown creatively. The movie has tried to show the capacities of artificial affection being replicated by an Artificial Intelligence robot. The acting by Alicia Vikander takes the centre stage in this movie. Her character of the robot Ava has even outperformed the emotions shown by the human.
The movie’s plot consists of an inventor who has called a computer scientist to see the breakthrough he has made with the AI robot he has built. This robot can blur the lines between human and robot interaction. The movie is set in a room that is isolated from the outside world.
The minimalistic design of the background and the theme of seclusion has helped the director to emphasize the relationships and the emotions better. In the isolated room, the interactions are seen as stronger and deliver a punch. While annihilation shows us the world being destroyed by the creatures and the fight to remain alive, this movie focuses on what it means to be human. It focuses on what exactly constitutes a human being and deals with the more philosophical side of things.
Prometheus
Available at Amazon Prime
Prometheus is a movie that has been on the list of every movie buff who is interested in the sci-fi genre. Released in 2012, the movie changed the paradigms of alien movies. This movie was well-received by the audience and quickly became one of the crowd favorites of the alien genre of movies. The movie differs from many of the others on our list as the entire action takes place on another planet. Rather than having to save the planet like in many of these plots, the characters have to look for their self-preservation.
The main story is based on an intergalactic crew that has gone out on an expedition and has crashed on an unknown planet. This unexpected development during their trip to explore the galaxy has put them in a tough spot where they find themselves having to survive a planet that they do not have any prior knowledge about. The movie provides you with a thrilling experience which is compounded by the great acting of Michael Fassbender.
Predator
Available at Amazon Prime
The Predator and aliens to be the biggest and the most recognizable franchises in this segment. They have a huge fanbase that has been following the series for many years. This movie shares its similarity with Annihilation in using extra-terrestrial ceater+ures to instill fear into the minds of men. The predator series has not always been received with open arms by critics. Many had alarming opinions about the movie. Later on, the movie started to gain popularity and is the massive franchise that we know currently.
The movie plot is cente=red around the fight for survival between humans and aliens. These aliens are not shown to have an emotional area to them. They are shown to be the enemy of civilization and mankind in general. The movie takes us to a guerilla setting where humans are trying to pull surprise attacks on the predators and claim their earth back from the invaders. The movie is filled with action scenes and will be able to quench your thirst for action movies with a sci-fi horror element to it.
Sunshine
Available at Amazon Prime
If you go by what the movie shows the future does not look very promising. The movie is set in the year 2077. The chances of the survival of humanity look slim. The situation is grim as the sun is dying. If the sun dies the world would come to a stop. Without the sun the survival of humans on earth is not possible. In this worrisome situation, some people come up with the idea of reigniting the sun to ensure it can sustain them and their future generations.
A group of astronauts is given the responsibility to be the hope of humanity in these dark times. They are sent to a distant part of the space to carry out their mission and obtain lory as the people who were able to save the earth. The chaotic beginning of the movie sets the tone for the rest of the action. The situation is urgent and the urgency is maintained throughout the entire movie.
War of the Worlds
Available at Amazon Prime
If you have ever thought wondered what an all-out war between humans and aliens would be like you do not have to rely on your imagination. War of the World leaves nothing to your imagination. With skillful writing and wonderful direction, the movie has allowed people to witness what a full-on alien invasion would look like. the movie has been directed by Steven Spielberg who has lived up to his reputation of being one of the best directors in Hollywood.
The amazing action of TomCruise helps compliment the direction of the movie. The movie showcases how in an instant the entire world as you know it might change. The world has been plunged into desperation with the arrival of these creatures and it is upon the protagonist to make an effort to save himself and the rest of humanity. The movie is one of the greats in this genre and a must-watch. The suddenness of the impact along with the great visual effects makes this movie a marvel to watch.
Conclusion
Annihilation is a movie that was able to create an impact on its genre. The movie took the route of suspense and horror while ensuring its sci-fi elements remain intact. Unlike many of the other movies during that time, the movie did not make action its main priority but gave the storyline a chance to develop. We were able to see the different personalities of the characters work with each other. The Sci-fi elements of the movie were not outrageous. They were able to present a concept that could be grassed by the average viewer.
The list we have compiled above allows you to explore many sub-genres in Sci-Fi. These movies are similar to Annihilation but are not exact copies. All of these stories have their plot which keeps you engaged with the character. In this list, there is a mixture of many different types of movies with the same underlying theme. If you liked annihilation we recommend that you go through the other movies on this list.