Vivarium Review (2019) – A step into a surreal suburbia where house hunting turns into a traumatic nightmare!
Spooky season is sadly wrapping up, and we thought we would like to end our movie reviews for the month on an odd one. A 2019 film called “Vivarium!” This movie is an intriguing one! It is more disturbing than it is scary, but it is also not a graphic or bloody horror film. It is psychologically distressing, while at the same time posing some interesting questions about society, what we value, and the concept of the “American Dream.” It is a dark film that will likely make you feel uncomfortable, and cause you to question what direction you want your life to go in. It is a dark, and disturbing film, but we potatoes always enjoy movies that encourage out of the box thinking!
Due to its dark themes, here are some trigger warnings, including confinement, existential anxiety, parental stress, emotional manipulation, loss of autonomy, dehumanization, blurred reality, and surreal imagery. These elements can potentially evoke feelings of claustrophobia, existential dread, parental stress, distress related to emotional abuse, powerlessness, confusion, and general unease. These themes may be unsettling for some, including us potatoes at times. 'Vivarium' is a thought-provoking film that challenges perceptions, (which we love!) but it's crucial to approach it with caution, as it is intense.
We will do everything we can to not give too many spoilers in this review but there are likely to be some, so please take that into consideration and read cautiously.
Alright, let’s buckle up, pour that drink and get started!
Our story begins with one of our main characters Gemma (Imogen Poots), teaching her elementary school class. Cut to school being done for the day! The kids are pouring out of the school, and Gemma is on her way out as well.
She bumps into a fellow teacher who asks her how her house hunting is going. Gemma seems a bit disheartened as she has not found anything yet. She and her boyfriend Tom (Jesse Eisenberg) are going to look at more houses later that day. Her fellow teacher encourages her to move quickly on buying a home, telling Gemma, “Well, don’t get left behind Gemma.”
We hit the ground running. The concept of home ownership, and a lack of this as being consider as being,“left behind,” is unfortunately fairly true in our society. It is deeply ingrained in the American psyche. It is true that it is an expectation that many people have, and most people where we live have been raised with. We are raised to believe that home ownership is a big part of being an adult, and part of the “dream” we are all supposed to have.
We potatoes have no issues with home-ownership, but we would argue that the idea that you need to buy a house in order to be successful, is completely false. Society often stigmatizes those who opt out of home ownership, forgetting that everyone deserves a place to live, regardless of societal standards. Not everyone wants to own a house. Not everyone has the means to own a house and that does not make them less than anyone else in any way. It is especially relevant today with home-ownership becoming more and more of a burden, and beyond difficult, as opposed to a “dream.”
It is incredibly expensive to own a home, saving up the cash to do so is extremely difficult, there are also renovations, general upkeep, utilities and taxes to consider. It is no small matter to purchase a home, and it is not feasible, or the right choice for everyone.
We feel for Gemma though, she feels the societal pressure to buy a house despite the fact that she does not even seem that thrilled about it. Even if you have the means to buy a home…it does not mean that you have to do so. Your dreams, no matter how big or small, are valid and they do not have to fit in with what society has indoctrinated us to “want.” But we digress!
Gemma smiles awkwardly, says goodbye, and starts heading to her car. But on the way to her car she notices one of her students off to the side staring at the ground next to a tree. Concerned Gemma walks over and sees a dead baby bird on the ground.
The child is upset and asks Gemma why this happened. Gemma tries to explain that, these things just happen sometimes. The little girl then says one of our personal favorite lines in the film, “I don’t like the way things are. They’re terrible.” We feel you little girl. This movie is not a subtle film at all, but it is still an interesting one.
The little girl’s mom calls for her, she says good bye to Gemma and runs off, leaving Gemma with the dead baby bird. Enter her boyfriend Tom (Jesse Eisenberg), who is the groundskeeper of the school and is pruning the tree that the birds fell from.
Gemma asks him if he was responsible for the birds, he says no, they bury the birds and perform a quick and silly little funeral ceremony for them. They both walk to the car, load up Tom’s tools and head out to house hunt.
They visit a real estate agency and meet a strangely enthusiastic and robotic agent named Martin (Jonathan Aris). Martin is incredibly awkward, yet bubbly. He gives off creepy vibes, but nothing too sinister…yet. Martin talks up a housing development called “Yonder”! The houses are getting snapped up by so many diverse people, etc. He convinces them to check it out! They decide to go visit, if a bit reluctantly, only to find that it is an incredibly unnerving labyrinth of a suburban neighborhood, filled with identical houses, all painted in a sickly shade of green.
They drive through the unnervingly silent neighborhood and it is incredibly disquieting. They reach the house Martin wants to show them, house number 9. The house is a sterile, soulless replica of suburban domesticity, devoid of any personality or individuality. Martin proceeds to give an incredibly strange and awkward house tour.
Everything seems ok…uncomfortable and awkward…but nothing too nefarious until things take a bizarre turn! Martin vanishes in the middle of the house tour! Tom and Gemma, confused, get back into their car, and attempt to drive out of the neighborhood…except that they can’t. Gemma and Tom are completely lost amidst the identical houses and not only that, they keep ending up back at house number 9, which Martin claimed was their “dream home.”
They keep driving until they run out of gas and yet still find themselves outside of house number 9. Feeling trapped and defeated, Gemma and Tom decide to spend the night in the house. The next day, they attempt to escape once more on foot, but find themselves stuck in an endless loop, always returning to house number 9!
Their phones provide no help at all as there is no signal, and any attempts to walk out of the neighborhood leads them back to where they started all over again. It’s like they're stuck in a Groundhog Day loop and there is no escape!
A mysterious package appears at their doorstep, containing a baby boy and a message: “Raise the child and be released.” This unexpected arrival further adds to their confusion and desperation, as they struggle to understand their situation.
We are going to wrap things up from here so as to try to avoid further spoilers! Things only devolve further from here…Who is this child? Why are they stuck in this nightmare? What do they do now? Gemma and Tom have a growing sense of isolation, frustration, and existential dread as the film progresses. The sterile and monotonous environment of Yonder amplifies their feelings of helplessness, making their predicament even more unsettling.
Gemma and Toms banter started off as cute, but quickly descends into a whirlpool of frustration and madness. Gemma and Tom’s descent into madness mirrors the way family dynamics can become toxic, suffocating, and downright abusive. It's a dark mirror reflecting the worst parts of ourselves and the society we’ve built. Tom’s behavior in particular becomes more and more erratic and disturbing. Gemma is not well either, but she tries harder to cling to her sanity and sense of self, not that this spares her.
The child is extremely unsettling as well. He grows quickly, and his behavior is painful, grating, and confusing all at the same time. We potatoes really feel for Gemma and Tom. The movie does a brilliant job of highlighting the terrifying reality of societal expectations, the crushing monotony of suburban life and the suffocating pressure to conform. It’s a not-so-subtle jab at the soul-sucking routine many of us can find ourselves in.
The story is a powerful allegory for the dehumanizing effects of societal expectations. Gemma and Tom find themselves trapped in a seemingly “perfect home”, representing the pursuit of an idealized lifestyle. However, the grim reality behind the façade speaks volumes about the sacrifices people make in the name of fitting into society.
The movie very cleverly addresses the “cookie-cutter dream” of home ownership, urging us to think on our own personal wants and needs, beyond societal influence. The film questions the assumption that everyone should be a parent, emphasizing that not everyone has the temperament for parenthood. This is reinforced by the eerie feeling that someone, (the audience), is watching these characters psychological torment, and creating an uncomfortable feeling of being complicit in their suffering.
The film digs even further! It digs into the struggle of being true to yourself in a world that's always trying to make you fit in. Gemma and Tom's journey reflects the everyday battle of losing yourself while trying to live up to everyone's expectations. It's a truly wild ride through the psychological toll of trying to be what society wants us to be.
Ultimately, we did not feel that “Vivarium” attacks any lifestyle, but it explores the characters forced situation. It poses important questions. It encourages us to tread carefully, understanding that everyone's path in life is unique!
Gemma and Tom's journey into conformity serves as a cautionary tale, reminding us to question societal norms and to live authentically, embracing our individuality and redefining success on our own terms despite societal pressures! In our minds, “Vivarium" isn’t just a movie it’s a wake-up call disguised as a horror film. It is a reminder to break free from the cycle and live life on your own terms! We love this!
We have to give some shout outs to the wonderful actors! Martin is so creepy and great! Jonathan Aris’s performance is eerily brilliant! We also loved Imogen Poots performance as Gemma and Jesse Eisenberg’s performance as Tom! Their acting was fantastic, disturbing, and heartbreaking all at the same time.
We potatoes greatly enjoyed this film in general, but we particularly enjoyed the message! It's a message that we feel needs to be said louder. The film is well written, well-acted, and provocative. Life isn't one-size-fits-all, and we're here for breaking that mold!
Overall, we liked this movie! Is it subtle? No. Could it have had more subtly and nuance? Yes. Is it thought provoking, disturbing, and incredibly creepy? YES. If you are someone that enjoys provocative, introspective, upsetting, unsettling, unique, and eerie films than this the movie for you!
We give this movie 4 out 5 spiked coffees!
The Vivarium Drinking Game
Take a sip anytime:
1. The "child" screams
2. The "child" parrots or mimics Gemma or Tom
3. The "child" stares
4. The "child" says "woof"
5. Tom or Gemma lose their temper
6. Tom and Gemma bicker
7. Tom digs
8. Tom lights up and smokes a cigarette
9. Martin, the real estate agent, smiles or grins
10. Gemma or Tom try to communicate with the "child"
11. Gemma and Tom's attempt to escape or seek help
12. Gemma or Tom looks at their reflection, emphasizing the theme of self-awareness
13. Number "9" on screen
14. You see or note any blatant symmetry or strange patterns on screen
15. You get a sense of time distortion or repetition
What did you think? Did you like the movie? Did you hate it? What movies should we watch? Any and all thoughts are welcome! Let us know here in the comments and always remember to be safe and drink responsibly!