Brow Beat

Three Slate Critics Try to Make Sense of the Ending of Annihilation

Annihilation is an experience, but is it a good experience?

Oscar Isaac in Annihilation.
Oscar Isaac in Annihilation. Paramount Pictures

On the Spoiler Special podcast, Slate critics discuss moviesthe occasional TV show, and, once in a blue moon, another podcast, in full, spoiler-filled detail. In this week’s episode, Slate’s film critic, Dana Stevens, spoils Annihilation with Slate editorial assistant Marissa Martinelli and culture and tech writer Inkoo Kang. Can we make heads or genetically modified tails of the end of the movie? Is the science fiction in this movie actually scientific? And why is everyone obsessed with that weird Annihilation noise?

Listen to them discuss these and other questions below. You can also check out past Spoiler Specials, and you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts. Note: As the title indicates, each installment contains spoilers galore.

Email: spoilers@slate.com

Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder.