Directed by Benjamin Brewer and written by Mike Nilon, a father and his twin teenage sons fight to survive in a remote farmhouse at the end of the end of the world. Starring: Nicolas Cage, Jaeden Martell, Maxwell Jenkins, Sadie Soverall, Samantha Coughlan, Joe Dixon and Joel Gillman.
Without doubt, there are a countless number of films out in the world which star a well-known actor in a supporting role, and they get killed off in the first five minutes. Whereas Arcadian is a fantastic example of how to use an established actor in a small role to the benefit of the film, without making your audience feel like they’ve been cheated.
The film is about the brotherly relationship between his sons but Nicolas Cage’s Paul still has plenty to add. He’s vital in establishing this story, exploring the bond between him and Jaeden Martell and Maxwell Jenkins’ twins and how their personalities and perspectives differ.
Jumping into Arcadian, it opens with this interestingly family friendly, fantasy style, almost like we’re about to experience something that throws A Monster Calls into the apocalypse. While the style does develop into more traditional horror-thriller territory, the tone that introduction creates does a wonderful job of adding sincerity to these family relationships. It has a curiosity and youthfulness, interlaced with a disillusionment and survivalist atmosphere.
It works really well, the only real time it lets itself down is straying into overtly sentimental territory in its finale. Added to handing a bit too much focus to Sadie Soverall’s Charlotte, who hadn’t played a big enough part to dedicate so much of its pivotal moment to her, despite her solid performance.
Perhaps one of Arcadian’s biggest strengths comes in the form of its monsters. Their design and the way that they move or almost vibrate, feels somewhat reminiscent of Edge of Tomorrow, being a part of a whole rather than individuals. It’s different and genuinely interesting to watch, leaving a certain unpredictability which is a huge commodity in films of this kind, creating anything that sets you apart from the crowd in this day and age is impressive.
Another great choice on the part of Benjamin Brewer is to pick and choose his moments when it comes to violence. It’s relatively minimal in comparison with a lot of other films, which always makes the bloody moments more effective. Again, it also goes back to creating that family-friendly influenced style, as if it’s throwing back to the 1970s or 1980s. Part of that is also the performances from Jaeden Martell and Maxwell Jenkins.
They bring a wholesomeness, they’re brooding, frustrated and contain all the typical qualities of teenage boys but they’re also capable, resourceful and clever. They have nicely opposed personalities, putting them constantly in brotherly battle, one tempted by a girl and one scientifically minded and focused. It’s a great balance and the two are really enjoyable to watch, their struggle to find peace works well against the backdrop of their fight to survive, neither takes too much of the screentime.
Arcadian is a taste of what we know as love as horror fans while creating something original. It’s visually strong, both in its direction and its design. The tone impressively manages to balance something wholesome with some classic monster action. The performances are all enjoyable, it moves with a good pacing, keeping to a nicely tight ninety-two minutes and is a film you’ll want to return to again.
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