Is Netflix the new cineplex?

The trend of pedigree movies such as Annihilation bypassing cinemas and going straight to streaming has Netflix subscribers cheering and some industry players jeering

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The sci-fi movie Annihilation is based on a best-selling novel and has big names attached to it. It stars A-listers Natalie Portman and Oscar Isaac and is helmed by novelist Alex Garland, who directed Ex Machina (2014).

Based on pedigree alone, it has the potential to be the next smart sci-fi film to find favour at major awards, in the vein of Denis Villeneuve's Oscar Best Picture nominee Arrival (2016).

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on April 05, 2018, with the headline Is Netflix the new cineplex?. Subscribe