Jeff VanderMeer’s dense, trippy novel Annihilation is a marvel, weaving elements of sci-fi and mystery into a classic adventure tale of discovery. That a Natalie Portman-starring film adaptation from Ex Machina’s Alex Garland was on the way is an exciting prospect for fans of the book.

Now, we’ve been given our first peek of the world Garland’s created from VanderMeer’s text, and these brief glimpses are striking. As the teaser shows, the story of four female scientists who forge an expedition into the abandoned, cordoned-off Area X unearths terrain and wildlife that’s both beautiful and eerily foreign. Also, the mystery of some amorphous, ethereal creature that’s nevertheless reactive hangs heavy in the air. See the teaser above.

Portishead’s Geoff Barrow wrote the score for the film, marking his second collaboration with Garland after his work on Ex-Machina.

Jennifer Jason Leigh, Gina Rodriguez, Tessa Thompson, Tuva Novotny, and Oscar Isaac co-star. The film, the first in a potential trilogy, is currently slated for release on February 23rd.