Resistance and Surrender: Cosmic Horror in THE ENDLESS (2017) and ANNIHILATION (2018)
The latest edition of my eco-horror column, Bad Mother Nature, is up now on Rue-Morgue.com!
"At the heart of every cosmic horror film, is one central conceit: ‘There is something out there that is bigger than us.’ Whether a higher power, an alien visitor, or an inexplicable natural phenomenon, cosmic horrors confront us with our smallness, our frailty, and our helplessness. The same can be said of two films from the late 2010s, whose protagonists must choose whether to resist or surrender to cosmic horrors beyond their comprehension. In Benson & Moorhead’s THE ENDLESS, two brothers revisit the ‘UFO Death Cult’ they escaped as teenagers, and are confronted with a devastating choice at the hands of a monstrous deity. In Alex Garland’s ANNIHILATION, a group of women scientists venture into a wilderness infected by an alien force, one that threatens to infect them as well. In both, a question is asked. When face to face with an all-powerful cosmic authority, who submits, and who fights like hell to retain their autonomy? If God is not good, do you still bow down?"
Read the full article at the link above!
