VIVARIUM

VIVARIUM - VERTIGO RELEASING

Lorcan Finnegan's Vivarium is a Lynchian inspired enigmatic sci-fi film that slowly but surely loses momentum and interest. It is drowned in thematic nothingness and redundant character before coming to its flat and uninspiring finale.

The one element that keeps the engagement of Vivarium alive is the intriguing cryptic characters and mystery. The performances are the easiest compelling attribute to craft. Both Jessie Eisenberg and Imogen Poots – reteaming after The Art of Self-Defence – are a wonderfully charming pair as the performers have terrific emotional range and captivation respectively. Those attributes are clearly visible here with Poots particularly putting forth an outstanding display of skill present.

Poots undoubtedly keeps this feature alive with her engaging arc. She is compelling and captivating in exploring the trials and tribulations of her character. Eisenberg,on the contrary, while efficient in his role, is somewhat lost in the plot and succumbs to background noise. The range of the actors is never really afforded to develop on screen.

Neither the actors' comedic bravado, or dramatic sensibility are given precedent to develop, and instead writer and director Lorcan Finnegan and co-writer Garret Shanley focus solely on crafting an intimate cryptic puzzle. Its theme is the reason Vivarium succumbs and develops into a dull and flat feature. Granted, the feature is intimate, but the mystifying and enigmatic nature of the film are neither compelling nor interesting.

Vivarium is a feature that evokes a sense of poor direction and lack of narrative style, plodding along waiting for the inevitable end, but never fulfilling its purpose of crafting something remotely engrossing for the viewer to witness.

VIVARIUM is released March 27th 2020