Jennifer Jason Leigh

Still puzzled after Alex Garland’s mind-boggling sci-fi thriller ‘Annihilation’? Here’s a spoilery breakdown of the movie and its connections to the book.

The director of ‘Ex Machina’ is back with a bold and terrifying new film. It is one of the creepiest things you’ll ever see.

In Alex Garland’s ‘Annihilation,’ Natalie Portman and Jennifer Jason Leigh play characters who were originally written as women of color.

The latest film from Ex Machina filmmaker Alex Garland hasn’t had the smoothest road to release; a battle between producers resulted in a deal with Netflix, which will release Annihilation internationally 17 days after it hits theaters. And although early reactions to Garland’s adaptation of Jeff VanderMeer’s acclaimed sci-fi novel have been overwhelmingly positive, Annihilation has another potential problem on its hands.

See a new clip from ‘Annihilation’ with Natalie Portman with this mysterious code.

Alex Garland’s new sci-fi thriller ‘Annihilation’ is riddled with mysteries, but the cast break a few down in a new behind-the-scenes video.

If you’re not excited for Annihilation, you should be. Jeff VanderMeer’s book is one of those novels you don’t hear much about until someone thrusts it into your hands, and then suddenly everyone seems to be talking about it. It’s surreal, baffling, and beautiful, and Alex Garland’s (Ex Machina) film adaptation has finally, finally gotten an official release date.

If an esteemed actor gets big enough, you can place a pretty good bet that he’ll be cast as at least one American president in his lifetime. Everyone from Martin Sheen to Jon Voight has played George Washington, Daniel Day-Lewis got extremely in character as Abraham Lincoln, and Robin Williams’ Teddy Roosevelt is one of the joys of the Night at the Museum movies. Since Woody Harrelson is having a real moment these days, it comes as no surprise that he’s been tapped to play one of our most recognizable presidents, Lyndon B. Johnson, in LBJ.

As he’s transitioned into the serious-actor phase of his career, former teen girl fantasy Robert Pattinson has become something a fixture on the film festival circuit. This week, he’ll make the journey to Cannes when his latest starring vehicle Good Time plays in the Competition section, and though we common rabble will have to wait until August 11 for the U.S. release, today brings the first trailer for the A24-fronted project. And from the looks of this dizzying swirl of color and brutality, New York’s hometown heroes Josh and Benny Safdie have brought the heat.

Boutique film distributor A24 is having what’s known in the world of professional sports as a “career year.” As Hollywood took a big number-two in the bed with a bevy of pricy flops over the past few months, the agile indie outfit has hogged all the critical acclaim with such widely praised releases as The Witch, Krisha, Green Room, The Lobster, De Palma, Swiss Army Man, American Honey, and Moonlight. They’ve got one more trick up their sleeve for 2016, too, with the generation-spanning drama 20th Century Women due in December. (Spoiler alert: it’s wonderful.) And today, they’re shoring up their future with another exciting get.