As a film, Arcadian is fairly familiar and predictable in its particular subset of the wide-ranging horror genre in that it pits a desperate family against an alien threat. The broad appeal of this premise should be obvious, and screenwriter Mike Nilon doesn’t go too far out of his way to offer scenes and images that feed the appeal. The film climaxes, after all, on an impressively scaled showdown between the human characters and the aliens that have been running rampant on Earth for at least a couple of years. The only bit of expository dialogue detailing anything about the state the world is in comes as an intentionally rushed explanation that’s part of a game being played between two young people. However, a strong focus on characters is what elevates Arcadian past its familiar genre trappings and into the arena of a pretty solid creature feature.
Nilon and director Benjamin Brewer leave a lot up to the imagination, which is a smart move in a climate of genre efforts entirely devoted to undermining an audience’s impulse toward using their imagination. The only time the film is straightforward about its message is during sequences when the aliens target the humans. The aliens are unique beings. One moment is notable for how superbly and almost unbearably terrifying it is to watch one reach into a room where our protagonist, in an attempt to trap the creature, is feigning sleep. It might not sound like much of a set-up, but then we realize that the alien’s finger-like claws can extend many feet in front of it. This might sound curiously like a spoiler, but words cannot accurately communicate how truly unnerving the experience is.
This means a few things for the filmmakers—most importantly, they have nailed the one true necessity for a creature feature by conceiving an entity that is quite unlike any other in recent movie history. Not only that, the creature is an impressive visual creation, regardless of the surrounding light quality—another thing that is consistently overlooked in movies of this nature, made even more impressive considering it is created with digital effects, which can be yet another downfall if not created with care and attention within a limited budget. Arcadian delivers scenes that build tension and horror with skill and affection for the characters, the latter being the most important thing about Nilon’s screenplay.
Despite all the familiarity of what surrounds them and the rules they must follow to avoid interactions with the aliens, we care about Paul (Nicolas Cage) and his sons, Joseph (Jaeden Martell) and Thomas (Maxwell Jenkins). We become invested in their survival, which is Paul’s sole focus, and we grow to like all three of them for various reasons. Paul is protective but not overly so, understanding that they must still operate with some normalcy. Joseph is quiet, thoughtful and inquisitive. Thomas is more sociable, enjoying a bit of flirtation with a local girl (Sadie Soverall), much to the chagrin of her overly protective parents.
In a dystopia where a lot of humans became these creatures as the result of a devastating virus, the plot follows these three men through their routines until imminent danger befalls one or more of them, and they must fight. Arcadian delivers skill in staging and executing the sequences of both tension and combat, a trio of strong performances—especially Martell as a young man with a very good head on some sturdy shoulders—and relative slightness. There isn’t much to say about it but solid sense of craft.
Photo courtesy of RLJE Films
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