Annihilation came with great credentials. It's jam-packed with great actors; it's based on a brilliant, award-winning novel by Jeff VanderMeer; and it is directed by Alex Garland, the mastermind behind indie breakout Ex Machina. And yet, despite being arguably beautiful, this movie fails on multiple levels. Incoherent, implausible, and often downright embarrassing, it verges on self-parody. What's frustrating about Annihilation is that the acting is superb, and the concept design is mostly gorgeous.