First Vivarium trailers are a little bit surreal, a little bit Stephen King
It’s great to see capable actors in abstract movies. The first trailers for Vivarium bring together Imogen Poots and Jesse Eisenberg as a couple looking to buy their first home. The problem is, suburbia can be hell. In this case, probably literally.
Vivarium looks to be a mix of anxiety brought on by unseen pressure and a natural unsettling of being stuck with the same person/people for a long period of time. Slap a black and white filter on this and it could be The Lighthouse for millennials!
Jokes aside, Vivarium looks interesting. Check out the trailers below.
Here’s the first trailer for Vivarium that dropped in January:
And here’s a second trailer for Vivarium that was released yesterday:
And here’s the official plot synopsis for Vivarium:
Tom and Gemma are looking for the perfect home. When a strange real-estate agent takes them to Yonder, a mysterious suburban neighborhood of identical houses, Tom and Gemma can’t leave quick enough. But when they try to exit the labyrinth-like housing development, each road takes them back to where they started. Soon, they realize their search for a dream home has plunged them into a terrifying nightmare, in this taut thriller filled with white-knuckle suspense.
That second trailer is giving off subtle Stephen King vibes in the sense that these characters are mentally tortured and finding external ways to express their angst. Eisenberg digging his hole could easily be swapped with a dirty Thomas Jane and I’d be convinced this was a King adaptation.
That said, Vivarium is at least trying to be different. And its stars are solid. Say what you will about Eisenberg, but for every DCEU or Zombieland-level blockbuster he churns out half a dozen smaller indie-type thinkers. The Art of Self-Defense (also starring Poots) and The Double jump to mind. And Poots always seems up for a gritty or explorational on-screen outing (see Green Room, I Kill Giants, or Fright Night).
Here’s hoping Vivarium is worth the watch, even if reviews out of Cannes were mixed!
Vivarium stars Imogen Poots, Jesse Eisenberg and is was by Lorcan Finnegan. The movie hits theaters and on-demand March 27, 2020.
