Arcadian (2024) Movie Review
In a world where monsters attack at night, we see yet another world, post-apocalypse, where a handful of people struggle to survive.
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Plot Summary
A father, Paul, and his two boys, Joseph and Thomas, live in a world where humanity locks and boards up every door and window at night. Why? Because monstrous beings hunt at night and it does so in numbers that make fending for yourself a challenge.
Luckily, Paul has his boys, and Thomas has made friends, maybe even a girlfriend out of Charlotte, on a nearby farm. However, as the monsters seem to evolve or realize there are more ways to enter a home than through a window or doors, so comes the question of how Paul and his boys may survive as they are forced to find new ways to survive the night.
Content Information
- Dialog: Nothing Notable
- Violence: Gun Violence, Dismemberment, Blood, Torture, Notable Fight Scenes
- Sexual Content: N/A
- Miscellaneous: Depiction of Corpses, Body Horror, Drinking, Smoking
Question(s) Left Unanswered
- Where did these monsters come from, and how long have they’ve been roaming?
- Are these monsters mutated humans or just an alien species?
- Is the battle we see early in the movie and in the trailer a fight between humans or against the monsters? It is in the daytime, so wouldn’t the seemingly nocturnal monsters be hiding somewhere?
Characters and Cast Members
| Paul | Nicolas Cage |
| Joseph | Jaeden Martell |
| Thomas | Maxwell Jenkins |
| Charlotte | Sadie Soverall |
Character Description(s)
Paul
Paul is a survivor of what happened to humanity. He has spent the last 15 years raising two boys he has found, teaching them everything he has learned so they can survive on their farm.
- The actor is also known for their role in “Renfield.”
Joseph
Joseph is the nerdier of the two boys, often reading and trying to research the monsters and these strange roach infestations that consistently appear in the movie. He also is interested in technology and might be an inventor of sorts.
- The actor is also known for their role in “Knives Out.”
Thomas
Thomas is the athletic one, the risk taker, and because of that, Paul worries about him far more than Joseph and is a bit harder on him.
- The actor is also known for their role in “Wonder Woman 1984.”
Charlotte
Charlotte is a young lady who lives on a more affluent farm than Paul, which includes sheep and lots of land, and her family even has money for stuff like medicine.
- The actor is also known for their role in “The Last Exit.”
Review
Our Rating: Mixed (Divisive)
Good If You Like
- Horror movies focused on characters with survival skills
Similar To This
- A Quiet Place: A movie also featuring monsters that only hunt humans under certain conditions, specifically if they make a sound.
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Highlights
How Freaky The Monsters Look
I don’t know how to describe the monsters beyond saying they look like something out of a “Resident Evil” game. They join together to make a wheel to chase down prey. They may have a standard, contortionist body, but then they open their mouths, and their jaw dislocates and rapidly opens and closes in the most freaky of manners. Then, when you add in the sound of it? Oh, the monsters become what could be the sole highlight.
Low Points
The Lack Of Character Development Or World-Building
“Arcadian” isn’t the type of movie that gives you background or builds up its characters in a way that makes the possibility of them dying something that could make you emotional. Charlotte hints at what may have led to the world being as it is, but it is not treated as fact and is a literal thing she explains within less than a minute as a game she plays with Thomas. So, in terms of how the world ended up this way, when, and what is the overall state of society? You are given very little to go by.
The same can be said with the characters. Paul is a father and a farmer, and that’s the beginning of the end for him. Joseph is introverted, likes to read and draw, and is a bit of an inventor. Thomas? He runs fast, has a crush on a girl in his community, and is a bit more of a risk-taker. Charlotte? Beyond being a girl from a family doing well? There isn’t much to her as an individual.
Together, these aren’t characters you can get invested in or a world that pushes you to be curious or rewards you for asking questions or wanting to know more. This is a bare-bones film with very little to offer beyond scenes when the monsters attack.
Background Information
| Film Length | 1 Hour 32 Minutes |
| Date Released | April 11, 2024 |
| Where To Watch | In Theaters |
| Director(s) | Benjamin Brewer |
| Writer(s) | Michael Nilon |
| Genre(s) | Action, Horror, Thriller |
| Content Rating | Rated R |
