I like the idea of mixing dystopia with horror, but when I stumbled upon this movie I hadn’t heard of starring Jesse Eisenberg and Imogen Poots, I wasn’t sure it was for me. “You’re home. Forever.” as the tagline was a bit of a flashback to shutdown during the Covid pandemic, after all. Still, I’m a sucker for suburban tales in the horror genre, and gave it a go.
Vivarium, on the surface, is about a young couple looking to buy their first home. They are convinced by an oddball sales agent to “just take a look” at a home in an unusual development soon to open, where every house looks the same. When they enter the neighborhood, it is a maze of carbon-copy houses, yards, and streets. The sales agent shows them #9, a mostly-normal home with some unusual features. Yet, the agent suddenly disappears, so they decide its time to high-tail it out of there. This is when they discover that is easier said than done, as the neighborhood truly is a maze, one they can’t escape. Boxes of supplies mysteriously appear for them, with food and other necessities, and time marches on. They are isolated, angry, and at wit’s end when a new box arrives with a baby boy inside. This is when the dystopian storyline really kicks up a notch or five, when we discover meaning to the story which becomes even more clear throughout the remainder of the movie, when the couple truly begin to lose their minds, and unfortunately…when the story starts to drag. About 20 or more minutes could easily be cut without affecting the story, but I’m guessing is left in to show the agonizing passage of time for this couple. Nevertheless, the drag had me filing my nails instead of biting them. Finally, in the final 10-15 minutes, much is revealed and we learn how this family will fare in the future.
All that said (or not said, so as not to spoil the surprises), Vivarium is more than what it seems, as many decent movies are. If you’re willing to look deeper, you’ll find themes and metaphors aplenty. You’ll find some humor. You’ll see great acting by Eisenberg, Poot, and Senan Jennings (who plays a child). You’ll get that Twilight Zone feel. What you won’t get: scares or horror. This is billed as a horror movie, but that’s a stretch, in my opinion. So, watch if you like dystopian, slow-build, metaphorical movies with a psychological component thrown in, but not for your 31 Days of Horror.
- Top Scare: Child
- Heartbeats: 1 out of 5
- Gore factor: 1/2 out of 5
- Scare factor: 1 out of 5
- Recommended for: 16 and up due to sex scenes