Review of Vivarium
midlandsmovies • April 27, 2020
Review of Vivarium
Vivarium (2020) Dir. Lorcan Finnegan
Imogen Poots and Jesse Eisenberg star in this mysterious drama as a couple looking for a home to begin their life together in new film Vivarium.
The suburban nightmare begins as their characters Tom and Gemma get taken to a housing complex called Yonder by a bizarre estate agent. The homes are endless carbon-copy rows of duplicate green houses and picture blue skies with no other residents in sight.
After the agent disappears the two are unable to find their way off the estate, their car running out of petrol and their mobile phones eventually failing so they return to the bizarre #9 house they first visited.
Unable to leave, the couple try burning the house which they find rebuilt the next day, before a box is left on the street one morning by parties unknown which contains a baby. The otherworldly scenario continues as the baby grows to the size of a 7-year old in just 3 months and demands constant attention.
The film’s eerie atmosphere is incredibly unsettling and the intriguing beginning leads to further and further strange occurrences. The young boy’s screams still haunt my dreams and the performance of Poots as a mother who is first disgusted, then sympathetic, towards this “entity” is exceptional.
As time ticks on, there’s hints of sci-fi, supernatural and mythical symbolism alongside the obvious parallel of a couple trapped in a routine they cannot control and with their personal dreams slowly dwindling.
The events begin to take a psychological toll on the couple – the child soon becomes a man, a textbook book containing freakish alien language appears and Eisenberg becomes obsessed in digging a hole in a gravely scene of domestic gardening.
Kudos should also go to the Senan Jennings who plays the burdensome child with such (intentional) flatness, his erratic appearance is terrifying every time he shows on screen. This kind demonic demeanour hasn’t been seen since the similarly discomforting Damien from The Omen (1976).
Unconventional, horrifying and beautifully bizarre, Vivarium is a somewhat obvious and on-the-nose analogy of a middle-age crisis in a modern Ikea-saturated world. With fears of parenthood, loss of individuality and restless boredom the film explores the monotony of homely life and the subsequent dreary doldrum.
However, with arresting and shocking images throughout, and some of the most peculiar story beats and characters I’ve seen this year, I recommend ‘settling down’ to watch Vivarium for an unescapable journey into familial hell.
★★★★½
Michael Sales
On Sunday 26th April Midlands Movies Editor Michael Sales & awards ceremony co-host Ed Stagg (BBC Radio) announced the nominations for the 2026 Midlands Movies Awards live from the Queen of Bradgate Vintage Cinema in Leicester. A big thanks was given to the entire Jury Panel of industry experts who gave up their precious time to watch a huge selection of creative projects and as always, had a difficult time choosing from the excellent number of films from the region. You can read the full list of nominations across all 16 categories below and watch our announcement videos here: Part 1 & Part 2 And please also check out our great awards partner Chrome Video Best Actress in a Leading Role Karendip Phull for Family Kate Bracken for The Lace Rachel Baker for Throwing Fruit Chloe Wade for How Long Sophie Bullock for Ma Prison Best Animated Film Of All the Things by Steff Lee Big Red by James Pyle Statue in the Garden by Qianhui Yu Butterfly by Jacob Christie Best Director Luke Worrall for The Waterline Lily Portman for Quiet Jack Richardson for Daniel’s Room Jonathan Hawes for Sorry We’re Closed Sophia Dall'Aglio for Man from Mars Best Documentary Nothing's Impossible by Jacob Thomas McClean A Birmingham Symphony by Jemma Saunders We Bring Light: Leicester's Diwali Legacy by Kieran Vyas The Sunshine Café by Jill Lampert Through the Viewfinder by William North Best Sound (Editing or Mixing) Neil Evans & his team for Artificial Insanity Alasdair Gretton for Dead on Distribution Deepanjali Patel for Earworm David Hamilton-Smith for The Pause Heidi Wilson for Of All The Things Best Actor in a Supporting Role Devon Junior for Lazar Tim Sparrow for Safety Net Shaiek Ahmed Rana for Family Luke Rollason for Quiet Peter Willoughby for A Story of Spring Best Visual & Special Effects Jake Wesley-Worrall for Soul Trader Steve Askey & team for The Correction Unit Nick Willett, Matt Burkey & Jayne Hyman for Black Goat JaqD SFX MUA, Mind Magic Studios and Ben Harker for Beyond the Witching Hour Pete Key, Jai Blanks and Jacob Christie for Countenance Best Cinematography Gary Rogers for The Pause Laurence Mason-Guetta for Sorry We’re Closed Ian Snape for Soul Trader Ash Connaughton for Daniel’s Room Duane Adamoli for Surfing (nominations continue below...)
As someone who has been a fan of indie horror games for over a decade, I was jumping for joy when I first saw the announcement that an indie horror game I really enjoyed was receiving a film adaptation
On a bright Sunday morning at a campsite just off the A52 in rural Staffordshire, you would never have guessed that a run-of-the-mill grass field would soon set the stage for an epic encounter between 15th century armies.
Lacuna is a new short film from Midlands director Sophie Black and explores the sensitive subject of sexual abuse and its many ramifications.