The Myth of Pandora in Colm McCarthy's The Girl with All the Gifts (2016) and Alex Garland's Annihilation (2018)
The Myth of Pandora in Colm McCarthy's The Girl with All the Gifts (2016) and Alex Garland's Annihilation (2018)

Summary/Abstract: This article examines the myth of Pandora as a narrative structure within contemporary science-fiction cinema. While traditionally seen as the source of chaos and misfortune, Pandora has also been interpreted as a figure of nature and transformation. Drawing on Jane Ellen Harrison's early 20th-century critique of Hesiod's dominant version of the myth, the paper explores how science-fiction films revisit and reimagine this ambiguous figure. Focusing on The Girl with All the Gifts (2016) and Annihilation (2018), the analysis investigates how the Pandora myth - seen through the lens of feminist theory and ecocritical perspectives - resonates in portrayals of female protagonists who confront biological catastrophe and ecological mutation. The article introduces the concept of the "Pandora theme" as cultural DNA consisting of three core traits: pioneering femininity, transgression, and alignment with nature. These traits serve as a framework for interpreting mythic continuity in cinematic storytelling.

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