Annihilation
7.4/10
jumps
6
gore
6
dread
10
Tap a dot to add your rating.
Where to watch: Streaming on Paramount+ (US, subject to change)
▶ Watch the trailer
How it scared people
The vibe
Garland's Shimmer is a slow-rolling ecological nightmare where biology itself stops taking orders. Equal parts gorgeous and wrong, it builds to a lighthouse sequence that plays like modern cinema's purest cosmic-horror communion. The bear scene is instant canon.
Annihilation (2018) Parents Guide
| MPA rating | Rated R |
|---|---|
| Runtime | 115 minutes |
| Jump scares | 3/5 — moderately scary, with a handful of strong sequences |
| Gore | 3/5 — a moderate amount of blood and violence |
| Dread | 5/5 — the kind of film that follows you around for days |
| Themes | existential, unknowable threats; graphic bodily transformation; psychological distress |
Annihilation is rated R by the MPA. We score it 3/5 for jump scares, 3/5 for gore and 5/5 for lingering dread, over 115 minutes. Older teens and adults — less for what it shows than for how long it stays with you.
We rate what the film does — scares, gore, dread — not scene-level content like language or nudity, which we don't track.
Before you press play
- How scary is Annihilation?
- On our intensity scale, Annihilation rates 6/10 for jump scares and 10/10 for dread. It is moderately scary, with a handful of strong sequences. Expect little in the way of jump scares, but a sense of dread that builds steadily and lingers after the credits.
- How gory is Annihilation?
- Annihilation rates 6/10 for gore — expect a moderate amount of blood and violence.
- How long is Annihilation?
- Annihilation runs 115 minutes (1h 55m).
- What is Annihilation rated?
- Annihilation is rated R by the MPA. On our own scale it rates 6/10 for jump scares, 6/10 for gore and 10/10 for dread — the R tells you what it was certified, those tell you what it will do to you.
- Where to watch Annihilation (2018)?
- As of our last update, Annihilation is streaming on Paramount+ in the US (checked 2026-09-14). Availability changes, so check your service before settling in.
