Reviews: Doom: Annihilation (2019) Movie Review
Genres: Horror, Thriller, Sci-Fi, Action, Adventure
Subgenres: Aliens, Demons, Survival, Thriller, Dangerous Exploration, Hell, Military, Satanic, Sci-Fi
Our take on Doom: Annihilation (2019) explores its plot, scares, and horror highlights to help fans decide if it deserves a place on their watchlist.
Doom: Annihilation is a 2019 direct-to-video attempt to resurrect the beloved Doom video game franchise in cinematic form. Directed by Tony Giglio, the film tries to tap into the franchise’s blood-soaked, demon-slaying legacy, but the final product feels like a missed opportunity to deliver a truly intense sci-fi horror experience.
Doom: Annihilation (2019) – A Descent into Cinematic Hell
Plot, Themes, and Character Development
The story follows Lieutenant Joan Dark (played by Amy Manson), who leads a group of UAC Marines to a research facility on Phobos, one of Mars’ moons, after a distress signal is received. The team quickly discovers that a teleportation experiment has gone horribly wrong, opening a gateway to Hell and unleashing a horde of demonic creatures. With the Earth’s future hanging in the balance, Joan must overcome both external monsters and her own haunted past.
Thematically, Doom: Annihilation attempts to explore redemption, military duty, and corporate hubris, but these ideas remain surface-level. Joan’s backstory hints at emotional depth, yet her arc never reaches a satisfying conclusion. Instead of character-driven tension, the film leans heavily on predictable horror tropes and exposition dumps, preventing the story from feeling truly lived-in or urgent.
Acting and Cinematography
Amy Manson gives a committed performance and does her best to ground Joan Dark in realism, but she’s given little room to develop beyond her initial setup. The supporting cast is mostly functional, with performances that range from wooden to passable. Dominic Mafham as the morally questionable Dr. Betruger brings a slightly more theatrical edge, but even that feels restrained.
Visually, the film attempts to recreate the gritty, claustrophobic aesthetic of classic Doom environments. There are dark corridors, flickering lights, and plenty of industrial set pieces. However, the cinematography lacks flair, and the action sequences often feel static or poorly choreographed. Even the creature effects—which should have been a highlight—come across as uninspired and, at times, unintentionally laughable.
Directing Style, Strengths, and Weaknesses
Director Tony Giglio clearly respects the Doom mythology and incorporates familiar fan-service elements, including the BFG and key pieces of lore. However, the film suffers from trying to do too much with too little. Budget constraints are evident throughout, from the limited sets to the minimal creature designs. The direction lacks urgency, and the film rarely builds any genuine suspense or dread.
What could have been a brutal, high-octane thrill ride instead feels flat and slow. The pacing lags early on, and the action never escalates to the chaotic heights that Doom fans would expect. The film tries to expand the game’s lore with hints of ancient civilizations and demon hierarchies, but the world-building is half-baked.
Strengths:
Loyalty to source material with references and game-accurate elements
Amy Manson’s performance shows effort and potential
Attempts to build lore beyond just action
Weaknesses:
Low production value and lackluster creature effects
Pacing issues and minimal build-up to key moments
Shallow characters and undeveloped emotional arcs
Unimaginative direction and underwhelming action
Final Verdict & Score: 4/10
Doom: Annihilation is a valiant but ultimately forgettable effort to bring the Doom franchise back to life on screen. While it checks a few fan-service boxes, it fails to deliver the adrenaline-fueled horror action that made the games iconic. A stronger script, better pacing, and a more inventive visual approach could have made all the difference. As it stands, it’s a watchable curiosity for die-hard Doom fans only—but not much more.
Sources Used to Shape This Review
Insights in this review are drawn from director interviews, fan commentary, production notes, and long-form breakdowns across genre-specific platforms. Content is written uniquely and reviewed for accuracy.
- Doom: Annihilation Rating Scores
- Our Score: 4/10
- Overall Score: 4.03/10
- IMDB: 3.8/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 4.3/10
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