Arcadian Reviews (original) (raw)

Summary In a near future, normal life on Earth has been decimated. Paul (Nicolas Cage) 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 su...

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Arcadian should be the sleeper hit of the year.

Arcadian is more than a mere horror film; it’s a haunting meditation on the fragility of humanity and the enduring power of hope in the face of despair. It turns out that mixing heart with horror still works.

This is probably my favorite Nicholas Cage performance in film. Cage excellently balances off Jenkins and Martell's acting to create the perfect "family" movie. Arcadian Is Peak Film.

**** Nicholas Cage's performance is truly outstanding and deserves special recognition. His portrayal in "Arcadian" is nothing short of mesmerizing, showcasing his exceptional talent and versatility as an actor. Whether he is delivering intense moments or displaying vulnerability, Cage's on-screen presence is captivating, drawing viewers in and immersing them in the story with each passing scene.

It truly feels like “The Walking Dead” and now maybe “The Last of Us” have spawned a wave of films about how humans respond when civilization collapses—“Arcadian” is one of the better entries in this growing genre about how screwed we all are.

It’s an effective little thriller that knows the conventions and doesn’t stray too far from them.

Most of Arcadian’s potential lies in its performances (including compelling turns from Martell and Soverall) and the design of the monsters.

Arcadian does a few things remarkably well for a sci-fi/horror movie, but it needed a lot more to really spark: more commitment to its vaguely realized setting, more energy between the two very different brothers at its center, and above all, more Nicolas Cage — either version of him.

Unfortunately, Brewer and screenwriter Mike Nilon ignored an essential rule: Conceiving an original monster isn’t nearly as important as coming up with compelling human characters

A story about family and brotherhood, trojan horsed in a post apocalyptic horror film. There are moments when things aren't explained. I enjoy that. I like it when a film doesn't always 'hold your hand' and leaves a bit of mystery. The creatures were some of the more imaginative I've seen in any film. They were...disturbingly odd. Their movements, the chomping, chattering teeth, the odd leering grin formed by the markings on their head. Really brilliantly designed. Aside from all that, great performance from the 3 main actors.

Average thrills from a below average production. The creature designs are interesting, but the characters, world and screenplay fail to bring the audience with them. Its certainly very watchable but also quite forgettable given the oversaturated genre.

Nic Cage is back in the post-apocalyptic sci-fi horror that is 'Arcadian'.SYNOPSIS: 'A father and his twin teenage sons fight to survive in a remote farmhouse at the end of the end of the world.'The story here is both heart breaking and harrowing as a family fights to survive in a world full of monsters. Sound familiar? Well it very much is.With a few tweaks this film could've easily been part of the 'Quiet Place' universe. This feels very much like a 'Quiet Place' rip off, but the difference being this isn't anywhere near as good as anything in that franchise.Director Brewer's efforts demonstrate unwavering commitment to the story and what looks like is his intention to create a new franchise. Unfortunately, it just falls short of being a product to keep me enthralled.Cage isn't really used a lot here, he takes it easy whilst the support cast do the heavy lifting, and there's nothing wrong with that. Less is more.Where this film does excel though is with the monster designs. It's very much something I've not seen before and their 'attack method' is truly terrifying.This is very much an exploration into human behaviour as it is a monster movie. It just needs to do **** appears sequels are coming. Hopefully they'll be better than this.5/10

Arcadian has found its place as the second least favorite film in Nicolas Cage's filmography for me. Besides the fact that the film's creatures are overly surreal, it spends far too much time away from its main plot, making it quite tedious, unfortunately.

Could potentially be interesting, if only I could see a damn thing. Nic Cages gets the top billing Will Smith 'After Earth' storyline.

Production Company Aperture Media Partners, Highland Film Group (HFG), Redline Entertainment (II), Saturn Films

Release Date Apr 12, 2024

Duration 1 h 32 m

Rating R

Tagline Beware Of The Dark