In a near future, normal life on Earth has been decimated. Paul and his two sons, Thomas and Joseph, have been living a half-life - tranquility by day and torment by night.
Every night, after the sun sets, they face the unrelenting attacks of a mysterious and violent evil.
One day, when Thomas doesn't return home before sundown, Paul must leave the safety of their fortified farm to find him. A battle ensues that forces the family to execute a desperate plan to survive......
First off, I have no idea why this film has the title it has, but it's a curiosity for sure, just like the film. If you know me, I'm a Cage completist, he's a legend and when he is in a film in any type of role, he lifts the film beyond it's plot and narrative, and in the last ten years, his output hasn't been the best, but my goodness, when he's in a good film, that film is golden. Think of Dream Scenario, Mandy, Joe, Color Out Of Space, and Pig, you know Cage can be wonderful. And here we are again.
At first glance, Arcadian could be nothing more than your average Friday night monster movie. Think of A Quiet Place, or even It Comes At Night, and you would be forgiven for thinking that this film is going down the same route. It really isn't.
Cage is living on a farm of some sort with his two teenage sons who squabble all the time, so not only is the fight outside, it's also inside. It references Covid subliminally, but that is what the film is about. Imagine being in total lockdown at night, the time of sundowning, and when people are tired after a hard days work, and you have a nifty arc of the film.
Cage is a strict father, but it's in the best interests of his children, he wants them to be safe, and he wants them to learn and grow up quickly, as at night he dictates to them how the house should be lockdowned.
Outside of the nuclear family, the children are discovering themselves very quickly, and in the old adage of a teen (we all were once) they think that they are pretty invincible.
It's a film of two halves. The first half is the audience getting to know the dynamics of the family, and the other people that the kids meet, whilst Cage is just taking it easy with a cigar, knowing that the night will soon come.
The second part of the film just goes all out, and it feels like a monster movie crossed with 28 Days Later. It's pretty terrifying in parts, and it remains pretty tense right up until the end.
But I fear it's going to be one of those films with Cage that will be lost in the seas of time, as it didn't do very well at the box office, and it's sitting pretty now on Shudder.
It's really worth seeing.
Every night, after the sun sets, they face the unrelenting attacks of a mysterious and violent evil.
One day, when Thomas doesn't return home before sundown, Paul must leave the safety of their fortified farm to find him. A battle ensues that forces the family to execute a desperate plan to survive......
First off, I have no idea why this film has the title it has, but it's a curiosity for sure, just like the film. If you know me, I'm a Cage completist, he's a legend and when he is in a film in any type of role, he lifts the film beyond it's plot and narrative, and in the last ten years, his output hasn't been the best, but my goodness, when he's in a good film, that film is golden. Think of Dream Scenario, Mandy, Joe, Color Out Of Space, and Pig, you know Cage can be wonderful. And here we are again.
At first glance, Arcadian could be nothing more than your average Friday night monster movie. Think of A Quiet Place, or even It Comes At Night, and you would be forgiven for thinking that this film is going down the same route. It really isn't.
Cage is living on a farm of some sort with his two teenage sons who squabble all the time, so not only is the fight outside, it's also inside. It references Covid subliminally, but that is what the film is about. Imagine being in total lockdown at night, the time of sundowning, and when people are tired after a hard days work, and you have a nifty arc of the film.
Cage is a strict father, but it's in the best interests of his children, he wants them to be safe, and he wants them to learn and grow up quickly, as at night he dictates to them how the house should be lockdowned.
Outside of the nuclear family, the children are discovering themselves very quickly, and in the old adage of a teen (we all were once) they think that they are pretty invincible.
It's a film of two halves. The first half is the audience getting to know the dynamics of the family, and the other people that the kids meet, whilst Cage is just taking it easy with a cigar, knowing that the night will soon come.
The second part of the film just goes all out, and it feels like a monster movie crossed with 28 Days Later. It's pretty terrifying in parts, and it remains pretty tense right up until the end.
But I fear it's going to be one of those films with Cage that will be lost in the seas of time, as it didn't do very well at the box office, and it's sitting pretty now on Shudder.
It's really worth seeing.