The Big Picture · Interview
February 23, 2018/ 34 min/ Sean Fennessey
Sean Fennessey sits down with writer-director Alex Garland to talk through Annihilation, Ex Machina, and the screenwriting years before them.
7 films across 1 segment.
AI-generated This episode was transcribed and analyzed with AI models. The matches aren't perfect — expect the occasional misheard title or a link to the wrong film.
In conversation
The new one, a $40M adaptation of Jeff VanderMeer's novel. Garland calls it a metaphysical, hallucinogenic atmosphere piece he built around self-destruction, and told VanderMeer up front he couldn't do a faithful version.
His directing debut, described here as a Swiss watch of a film: four people, one house, $15M. A surprise hit that Garland says looked like it would lose money before it didn't.
The drug-fueled, ultra-violent one before Ex Machina. The only time Garland tried a franchise, and he was relieved when the sequel never happened.
The small, sad, literary adaptation he wrote before Dredd, part of a run he says lost money three films in a row.
One of the back-to-back films Garland lists as box-office losses, alongside Never Let Me Go and Dredd.
The first film he wrote, a reaction against The Beach. His schooling in filmmaking came from working with director Danny Boyle here.
The adaptation of his first novel, which he felt was too soft. 28 Days Later was his push toward more aggression and punk attitude.
Also mentioned raised along the way
Reference points while making Annihilation StalkerApocalypse NowSouthern Comfort
In passing Léon: The ProfessionalMoonlightTransformersGet Out
Not films filtered out: TV, games, ads
TV The Handmaid's Tale
Ads The BachelorBachelor Party (podcast)