Review: With characters unable to leave home, horror film ‘Vivarium’ feels eerily like life today – The Oakland Press

"Vivarium," which was supposed to be released in theaters on March 27, is instead now available to stream on Amazon Prime (for $6.99).

"Vivarium"is a strange film, not just in story but also in execution.

From the colorful visual style to the off-kilter performances from the cast, everything about this movie is designed to off-put you. Right from the beginning, the movie is doing everything it can to make you feel uncomfortable. And thats not really a bad thing.

In fact, thats one of the movies greatest strengths. The growing sense of uneasy shifts between genuine humor and genuine fear constantly pulls the rug out from the viewer. This makes the movie very unpredictable. You never know whats going to happen next, let alone how to properly react to it.

In "Vivarium," young couple Tom (Jesse Eisenberg) and Gemma (Imogen Poots) are looking for a new home. They dont quite know what they want in life, and are unsure what direction their relationship is going.

Their hunt for a new home leads them to a development called Yonder, which promises the perfect home for the perfect family. Though its not quite what theyre looking for, theyre willing to give it a look.

After a rather strange house tour from their odd real estate agent, they attempt to leave, but the layout of identical homes continuously lead them back to the house they looked at. No matter what direction they go, they always end up at the place where they started.

It isnt long before they realize that theyre apart of some supernatural experiment; provided with food, supplies, and even a child. Theyll either have to go along with this or risk their lives trying to escape the nightmare.

The layout and appearance of the strange suburb looks like it was ripped out of a picturesque real estate brochure. It looks inviting, almost cartoonish. And thats entirely the point. Its designed to look peaceful and playful in order to draw you into the nightmarish trap that lies within.

"Vivarium"is a great blend of comedy and horror that effectively keeps you laughing. It offers no easy answers to the mysteries it introduces, keeping us in the dark for the entire runtime. But that only succeeds in keeping us terrified about what is going to happen next.

Everything about this movie is designed to make you uncomfortable, and that makes the final payoff all the more rewarding.

Rating: 3.5 of 4 stars

Check out more of Motion Picture Institute graduateBen Rothrock's reviews atdefactofilmreviews.com.

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Review: With characters unable to leave home, horror film 'Vivarium' feels eerily like life today - The Oakland Press

Reviewed and Recommended by Erik Baquero