After the disappearance of her husband from a top-secret mission, Lena (Natalie Portman) is called to join an expedition to help investigate an unknown area, which has been called “The Shimmer”. The U.S. government has completely blocked off the Shimmer. Many teams have entered the area previously, but none have yet returned. This time, the team has changed, and we have a group of female scientists (Including Lena) who will now investigate. “The Shimmer” is also something that appears to be growing more and more, so time is of the essence. Lena is someone who has army experience and is currently a biologist. Will they survive the unknown area? What is the cause of The Shimmer, and where did it come from? And what happened to Lena’s husband?!

Director Alex Garland (Best known for his previous work directing the sci-fi film Ex-Machina) returns to write and direct this new film. Like his last work, this film has the sci-fi genre but with a higher level of Thriller and horror elements.

The picture and audio are a sci-fi fan’s dream. “The Shimmer” is impressive to look at, but it also has enough “unknown factors” for us to enjoy all the elements. Some visuals may be somewhat basic, but the creativity and thought process that has gone into this film is something to admire and respect. Creepy electronic music also stands out to create suspense and feels rather fitting throughout the film’s duration.

This film will require your 100% focus as some elements may make viewers frown at the film. I enjoyed not knowing what would happen next as each scene was unpredictable overall. I sat and watched with many possible outcomes in my mind, not sure which one of them would be correct. It’s nice to enjoy a film that is not so obvious that we spoon-feed all the details. The film also focuses more on suspense and gore than being a nonstop “Predator type” action film.

I felt Natalie Portman was a great choice to play Lena, but I do feel her presence in the film’s 1st act was a tad weak. Another note to mention is that during critical and horrific moments, you will find some of the characters exploring “The Shimmer” will give little to no expression based on the situation. At times, all characters can look dull and plain or even worse- some are frightened, and some are not. None of the characters felt consistent in regard to their actions. There are other minor moments one could point out, but when it comes to sci-fi, how picky can we get? Overall, I enjoy the concept of this film. It’s new, creative, and tries something different from just being another sci-fi film. Seeing Natalie Portman take the lead in something different for her was also refreshing.

7.9/10

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Review Written by Peter Walkden