Lorcan Finnegan’s second feature film Vivarium is a bizarre and beautifully-acted fever dream that seeks to take the rose-tinted glasses off of our view of suburbia.
The film introduces Gemma (Imogen Poots) and Tom (Jesse Eisenberg) as a young couple looking for a starter home. They visit a strange estate agent, Martin, who takes them to a newly developed town called Yonder; a maze of identical green houses and perfect clouds. After Martin leaves them there, the two find that they are unable to leave the town, so they spend the night at number nine.
The next day the couple find a box on the road outside. Inside is a baby and a message to “raise the child and be released”. The child grows rapidly and it is clear the boy is not all together human. The child’s need for attention, along with his bizarre mimicking stunts takes a toll on Gemma and Tom’s mental strength.
The film takes many turns at the back end of the film, creating a beautiful circle of a story ripe with irony.
Finnegan delivers a unique view on suburbia and the trap that many fall into when deciding to buy a house. He creates a fairytale-esque town and then presents events such as conforming to husband/wife duties, raising a child who is fed information through the tv and destroying nature to build rows of identical houses as insidiously as possible. The film is undeniably a creepy take on “ideal living”, reaching Twilight Zone heights of eeriness throughout.
Imogen Poots delivers an impressive performance as a woman trapped in the role of a mother to a twisted young boy. The relationship between Gemma and Tom feels authentic thanks to small scenes that build their love such as singing together in the car on the way to Yonder and dancing together by the car headlights. Jonathan Aris’s performance as Martin also set the stage for the creepy, off-putting feeling found throughout the film. His mannerisms were on point and his creepy smile is something I won’t be forgetting any time soon.
Finnegan was able to convey his vision perfectly to his crew as the production design, cinematography and editing all complemented each other in a surreal and creepy blend. I am excited to see what he creates next.
Vivarium launched 16 April on Google Play, iTunes, Fetch and Umbrella Entertainment and will be available via Foxtel’s On Demand service from May 6.