‘Vivarium’ is On the Nose
Ninety-eight minutes is too long for this story.
A young couple looking for a house gets trapped in a mysterious neighborhood they can’t escape from.
I wanted to like Vivarium. There are some cool and important ideas, but they’re not explored all that well, and the film is kind of a slog to get through. The characters are living through what feels like a personal nightmare, but it’s not fun to watch. There aren’t really many moments to actually enjoy the film.
What’s worse is that these characters aren’t all that distinct. Gemma (Imogen Poots) is a school teacher who seems to have a whimsical and fun side to her. Tom (Jesse Eisenberg) is a landscaper at the school who starts out fun and becomes increasingly frustrating as the film goes on. Sadly, I don't know much more about either of them after watching this entire film.
I think the generic nature of these characters is intentional because they are stand-ins for us as the film explores some of the most foundational parts of Western society today. The problem though, is when emotional moments come they just don’t land very well.
Near the end of the film, there’s a lengthy emotional moment when Gemma and Tom reminisce about when they met. They are thinking back on their lives and their time together. Ordinarily, this…
