Justin Chang

There are a lot of reasons to seek out The Annihilation of Fish, especially since it's a rare chance to see three late, great actors on screen together, Lynn Redgrave, Margot Kidder, and James Earl Jones, who died just last year at the age of 93. Here, a 60-something Jones plays a Jamaican-American man who goes by the name Fish, and who's just been released from a 10-year stay in an L.A.

mental institution. Fish isn't a danger to anyone. He's honest and unfailingly polite. Every so often, though, he gets into an aggressive wrestling match with a demon that only he apparently can see. Around the same time, we meet Redgrave's character, a San Francisco woman named Poinsettia, who, like Fish, has an active fantasy life. She believes she's being romanced by Puccini,

mental institution. Fish isn't a danger to anyone. He's honest and unfailingly polite. Every so often, though, he gets into an aggressive wrestling match with a demon that only he apparently can see. Around the same time, we meet Redgrave's character, a San Francisco woman named Poinsettia, who, like Fish, has an active fantasy life. She believes she's being romanced by Puccini,

mental institution. Fish isn't a danger to anyone. He's honest and unfailingly polite. Every so often, though, he gets into an aggressive wrestling match with a demon that only he apparently can see. Around the same time, we meet Redgrave's character, a San Francisco woman named Poinsettia, who, like Fish, has an active fantasy life. She believes she's being romanced by Puccini,

Imagine if Miss Havisham from Great Expectations were an opera buff, and you're halfway there. Through a strange turn of events, Poinsettia moves to L.A. and rents an apartment in a boarding house just across the hall from Fish. The house otherwise appears to be empty, except for their watchful landlady, Mrs. Muldroon, played by a lovely Margot Kidder.

Imagine if Miss Havisham from Great Expectations were an opera buff, and you're halfway there. Through a strange turn of events, Poinsettia moves to L.A. and rents an apartment in a boarding house just across the hall from Fish. The house otherwise appears to be empty, except for their watchful landlady, Mrs. Muldroon, played by a lovely Margot Kidder.

Imagine if Miss Havisham from Great Expectations were an opera buff, and you're halfway there. Through a strange turn of events, Poinsettia moves to L.A. and rents an apartment in a boarding house just across the hall from Fish. The house otherwise appears to be empty, except for their watchful landlady, Mrs. Muldroon, played by a lovely Margot Kidder.

One night, Fish finds Poinsettia passed out drunk outside his door, and brings her inside his apartment so she can sleep it off. From this odd encounter is born an equally odd friendship. Despite some initial wariness, they soon take a liking to each other and spend their days together playing cards. While Puccini's ghost is pretty much history at this point, Fish's demon is still very active.

One night, Fish finds Poinsettia passed out drunk outside his door, and brings her inside his apartment so she can sleep it off. From this odd encounter is born an equally odd friendship. Despite some initial wariness, they soon take a liking to each other and spend their days together playing cards. While Puccini's ghost is pretty much history at this point, Fish's demon is still very active.

One night, Fish finds Poinsettia passed out drunk outside his door, and brings her inside his apartment so she can sleep it off. From this odd encounter is born an equally odd friendship. Despite some initial wariness, they soon take a liking to each other and spend their days together playing cards. While Puccini's ghost is pretty much history at this point, Fish's demon is still very active.

During one of their wrestling bouts, Fish asks Poinsettia to referee, even though she, of course, can't see the demon herself. Close your eyes.

During one of their wrestling bouts, Fish asks Poinsettia to referee, even though she, of course, can't see the demon herself. Close your eyes.

During one of their wrestling bouts, Fish asks Poinsettia to referee, even though she, of course, can't see the demon herself. Close your eyes.

Let's get down to business. Fruitcake. All right.

Let's get down to business. Fruitcake. All right.

Let's get down to business. Fruitcake. All right.

While he clearly isn't afraid of broad comedy, Burnett has no use for strained quirkiness. He doesn't deploy his characters as cheap comic relief, or treat their strangeness as a problem to be solved. He finds the loopy logic even in their most illogical behavior. I think he wants us to look at Fish and Poinsettia pretty much the same way the landlady, Mrs. Muldroon, does—

While he clearly isn't afraid of broad comedy, Burnett has no use for strained quirkiness. He doesn't deploy his characters as cheap comic relief, or treat their strangeness as a problem to be solved. He finds the loopy logic even in their most illogical behavior. I think he wants us to look at Fish and Poinsettia pretty much the same way the landlady, Mrs. Muldroon, does—

While he clearly isn't afraid of broad comedy, Burnett has no use for strained quirkiness. He doesn't deploy his characters as cheap comic relief, or treat their strangeness as a problem to be solved. He finds the loopy logic even in their most illogical behavior. I think he wants us to look at Fish and Poinsettia pretty much the same way the landlady, Mrs. Muldroon, does—

Although a touch stern at first, she comes to accept and even appreciate them in all their eccentricities. Whatever may ail Fish and Poinsettia, friendship and love appear to be the only medicine they need. Fish cooks Poinsettia Jamaican food, she takes him to the park, and in time their bond turns romantic.