"Vivarium" is one of those movies that pulls you in with an interesting concept but leaves you questioning everything, especially the choices the characters make. The story follows a couple who find themselves trapped in a seemingly endless suburban neighborhood, forced into a bizarre and unsettling routine. The mystery keeps you engaged, but the characters’ decisions often feel frustrating. Not in a "bad script" way…

A young couple go to an estate agent to seek out their dream home. They encounter the almost robotic "Martin" who offers to show them their ideal residence - and so off go Imogen Poots and Jesse Eisenberg to inspect. They discover a typical detached house in the suburbs, surrounded by identical homes that leave them a bit cold. When their guide disappears, they decide to go home - except; they are caught in a labyrin…

Vivarium was eerie and creepy, and definitely a movie that will mess with your head, albeit probably in ways other than you anticipated. You'll be tricked in the beginning into believing this movie is actually a sociological observation of the slow and robotic death of suburban life: you and your nuclear family settle into middle class conformity in a large, seemingly endless design of mazes and hedges, condemned to …

It's a movie whose premise had promise but was never thoroughly explored. I read the generally high praise in the reviews for this movie and admittedly, I was fooled. I'm convinced that at least the individual here who likened part of its premise to the animated series, "Solar Opposites," while not being entirely off the mark, neglected to mention that unlike Solar Opposites, there is no payoff with Vivarium. Unli…

This science fiction thriller doesn't quite reach that level of suspense you’d expect. Lorcan Finnegan has adapted his earlier short film, also called **Foxes**, incorporating a broader theme about existence.

A truly remarkable film that I’d gladly watch again and suggest to others. Imogen Poots and Jesse Eisenberg, who previously worked together in "The Art of Self Defense," deliver outstanding performances as a couple held captive and compelled to care for a child. The core concept is exceptional—it brings to mind something like "Solar Opposites"—and it's difficult to talk about without revealing key plot points. …

Vivarium, a science fiction thriller from Irish filmmaker Lorcan Finnegan, presents itself as something unusual. It’s not necessarily an intellectually demanding story full of twists, but rather the narrative feels so strange that it's unlike anything viewers may have encountered before. While there are parts where the ambitious plot doesn’t quite succeed, Vivarium contains some striking examples of visual and storyt…

It’s a rather empty film; I agreed to review it simply because I was shocked by its rating. There are a few odd elements—a strange real estate agent and an unsettling child—but largely you observe the couple going through the motions, disliking their situation day after day. The story doesn't reveal much about the unusual people involved or explain their actions, leaving you with the sense that your time has been squ…

‘Vivavirum’ feels like a natural companion piece to Jocelyn DeBoer and Dawn Luebbe's ‘Greener Grass’ and Richard Stanley’s ‘Color Out of Space,’ creating an unintentional collection of strikingly surreal films from 2019 that challenge how we see typical suburban life and the idea of family. Lorcan Finnegan has crafted a strange, unsettling, intelligent, and darkly humorous film experience.