ARCADIAN - Mark Reviews Movies

Arcadian, RLJE Films

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Review by Mark Dujsik | April 11, 2024

The world has gone to hell at the start of Arcadian, as a man traverses a city where explosions are common, armed guards stand atop watchtowers, and, standing far from that metropolis, one can just make out the ruins of buildings amidst the evening fog and smoke. By some cunning and skill, this man has survived, and by some relative miracle, his twin infants have, as well. The three are all alone.

Despite the backdrop and some human conflict and the gradual revelation of a group of nocturnal monsters hunting any human survivors, that's what the story of Michael Nilon's screenplay ultimately comes down to: the relationships within this family. It's nothing particularly complex, mainly because the lives of the man and his sons, whom he successfully protects over the unseen course of 15 years in this post-apocalyptic world, don't amount to much. By day, they scavenge for supplies, and by night, they barricade the isolated house where they live, while sleeping in between the routine attempts of those monsters to break inside.

There's a certain potency in the simplicity of this setup and these relationships, especially when Nilon and director Benjamin Brewer reveal the actual story they're telling in the film's final standoff. Yes, it involves a fight between the characters and a horde of those creatures, but it's as much about what the characters' actions reveal about themselves and how they see each other in a different light. There's almost something primal about the final destination of the relationship between the father and his two sons—a realization that gets to the core of what the purpose of 15 years of survival has been.

Before that, the film is a serviceable thriller, too, revolving around recognizable characters, three strong performances, and monsters that look novel, act in a unique way, and are just as intimidating when we get a good look at them as when they're just shadowy threats. In other words, the filmmakers aren't trying to do too much, but they execute that simple setup well.

The father is Paul (Nicolas Cage), and his two sons are Joseph (Jaeden Martell) and Thomas (Maxwell Jenkins). There isn't much to be said of them, except that Paul is determined about ensuring their collective survival, while the two teens are, well, still teenage boys who don't always comprehend or behave in a way that would help such a goal.

Dad has rules. All of them have to work in some way, usually traveling beyond the comparative safety of the homestead to find and gather anything useful. They stick together whenever it's time for such an expedition, and when the sun falls, each of them goes around shutting and boarding up every door and window in the house.

The three don't say much to each other, because there's not much to talk about except the usual matters of staying alive, and they really don't speak when it's time to secure the house. Such dialogue-free moments show the level of confidence the filmmakers have in their storytelling and in our ability to work out the routines and the character dynamics, without those characters explaining what they already know for our benefit.

Even so, the brothers are different enough for some unnecessary bickering and fighting. Joseph is the quiet one, playing chess with himself and curious enough about the monsters outside to set up a trap that could catch one alive.

Thomas is more outgoing—as much as going out is possible under the circumstances—and makes regular stops at a nearby farm, where he helps that family. He's mostly there because the farmers have a teenage daughter named Charlotte (Sadie Soverall). Presumably, nothing more needs to be said about that.

Indeed, little needs to be explained or developed about this world, these characters, these bonds, and this plot, because it's all right there for us to see. A little game between Thomas and Charlotte, where she challenges the two of them to explain the end of the world in ten seconds (It's as if Nilon wants to waste as little time as possible on exposition), gives us only what we need to know—mainly that some virus killed a lot of people or transformed them into the creatures. The characters and their relationships reveal themselves primarily through action, and the plot provides a few obstacles toward the group's survival that mount at a steady pace and with increased intensity.

Many of the problems arise because of who these characters are, too, like how Thomas separates himself from his brother to see the girl, only to end up trapped and alone with monsters nearby, and how Paul readily puts himself in danger to save his son (without blaming either boy, because his only goal is make sure they stay alive) and how a monster ends up in the house because of Joseph's inquisitive nature. Eventually, the family has to help one of their own, and that's when the monsters decide to make a big assault.

What can be said of these strange, horrific creatures without giving too much away? They're evolutionary anomalies, really, with faces that almost look human from a certain angle but with arms that unfold to reveal retractable claws and bodies that make us consider the rapidly snapping jaws above are just ornamental. They're a constant threat and constantly revealing how much of a threat they are.

Even with that unusual design, though, the monsters never distract from or get in the way of core of the story of Arcadian. It's as simple as a father protecting his sons and kids learning to depend on their wits, their skills, and each other. That may be simple, yes, but in that simplicity, the film gets at something fundamentally human among and through the action.

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