Arcadian review.
Arcadian drops you into its dystopian future the same way that it springs things on its characters. Without warning.
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Arcadian
Directed by Benjamin Brewer
Written by Michael Nilon
Starring Nicolas Cage, Jaeden Martell, Maxwell Jenkins, Sadie Soverall, Joe Dixon, Samantha Coughlan and Joel Gillman
Arcadian Review
The world of Arcadian is a mystery. Even to its inhabitants. Taking place in a post-apocalyptic future, the few survivors seem at odds with how the world found itself in its current predicament. No one seems to have deep thoughts about how to move forward either. The name of the game is simple. Stay safe. Carry on.
Paul (Nicolas Cage) has done the best he can to keep his sons Joseph (Jaeden Martell) and Thomas (Maxwell Jenkins) safe. More importantly, he’s tried to prepare them to survive in this dangerous new world. Joseph is the brain of the operation. Thomas is capable but more interested in spending time with Charlotte (Sadie Soverall), a young girl from a neighboring farm. The brothers will be tested when Paul is badly injured.
It takes a while for Arcadian to let us know what the danger actually is. We spend a night with Paul and his sons…getting to know them while they are tightly bunkered down. There is a good reason for the precautions. Something (or some things) is trying to get into the house. Our first hint at what that might be comes the following morning when Paul examines the outside of the door. Dozens of claw marks are scratched into it.
Yes, Arcadian is a creature feature. The unnamed (and unnumbered) creatures are certainly original…but original in a way a child might draw a monster. Taking aspects of scary things and fusing them together. With the fur of a werewolf, the quickly snapping head of a dinosaur…and the ability to stretch itself into impossible proportions.
The movie does a good job slowly introducing the creatures to us. When Thomas ends up trapped in a cave one night…we see glimpses of the animal’s features. We see even more when one slowly breaks into the home as Joseph sleeps. It contorts itself in surreal ways…letting us know that Arcadian isn’t about a simple creature. The movie never explains where they came from. Light can harm them, so they only come out at night. When in need of fast travel…a pack of them will form a wheel shape and speed into action. When they catch you…you may be in for a little trip through their digestive system.
Arcadian places its attention on how the story develops rather than what the story is. That’s because the story here is decidedly simple. Stay safe. Carry on. Aside from the relationship between the brothers, and the different ways they look at the world, there isn’t a lot of character work in Arcadian. There’s no time for deep introspection when there are untold numbers of monsters at your door. Which is why Arcadian gets better and better as it goes along. This is a movie that builds towards an event. The night where the monsters stage their all-out assault.
That’s not to say there aren’t some surprises along the way. One of the things that Arcadian does best is an unspoken chess match between man and creature. The monsters are constantly learning. Something Joseph quickly identifies. He’s learning too. Going so far as to trap one for the purposes of study. Thomas isn’t as interested in the how of it…foiling Joseph’s plan out of a dangerous mix of pride and anger. Paul taught them better…and they’re going to need to remember every lesson if they hope to see the sun rise one more time.
Though largely centered on Paul and his sons…there are other characters in the story. Thomas is a constant visitor to a neighboring farm…making every excuse he can think of to see Charlotte. It’s Arcadian’s way of showing us “how the other half lives”. Selfishly, closed off, and under the soon to be proven false concept that they are safe.
Mostly, Arcadian is the story of a family’s fight for survival. Cage, Martell and Jenkins do a good job creating the necessary dynamic. Martell’s Joseph is the most interesting. Fitting given that his character is the most interested in the world around him. Jenkins’ character is the one who finds themselves at a crossroads. He’s caught between the life he wants and the one he was prepared for. Cage plays a more subdued character this time around. A man worn out by the world…desperate to keep his sons prepared. And safe. So that they can carry on.
Scare Value
Aside from the monsters’ ability to form one…Arcadian doesn’t try to reinvent the wheel. It finds clever ways to show the battle between what’s left of humanity and whatever is scratching at their door. Some truly fun ideas are sprinkled throughout the story. Wisely saving its biggest moments for a fun final act. A slow burn story that, fittingly, ends with a bang.
3.5/5
Arcadian Link
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