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Arcadian is set in a post-apocalyptic world where it’s all about the survival of the fittest, etc, yet for our lead, Paul (Nicolas Cage – Dream Scenario), he’s struggling to keep it together with his two teenage twin sons, Joseph (Jaeden Martell – It Chapter Two) and Thomas (Maxwell Jenkins – Reacher).
It’s effectively a monster movie – without explanation as to whether they came from – where some crackpots think that the aliens have arrived to cleanse the world of humans and the pollution caused by the Tories… (I’m embellishing, but you get the idea).
They only come out at night, and despite everyone’s best efforts, these inhumane creatures try to get in to everyone’s houses, while during the day, despite everything having gone to hell in a handcart, people are still trying to make human connections with the few who remain, including the Rose family nearby, where Thomas clearly has a thing for their daughter, Charlotte (Sadie Soverall – The Gathering), and in a world without electricity, this can lead to them passing the time by playing a game of “Crappy Apocalypse”, trying to explain the end of the world in 10 seconds.
I thought Arcadian referred to the creatures in some way, but looking it up afterwards, I see the definotion is a person who lives a simple, quiet life, which is what everyone has to do, given the lack of modern conveniences.
As a film, though, I did like how the aliens have very fast, chattering mouths, impossible for us to physically do, as well as having the ability to dig under houses to try and destablise the residents, making it a real Homes Under The Hammer nightmare!
The CGI is mostly in the dark, though,so you have to pay attention, even if it’s a bit dull attimes, and since I was a bit tired, I felt like like dropping off. Perhaps it didn’t help that it was fairly predictable, but then these days, when you’re going to see a Nicolas Cage film that’s not a blockbuster, you know what to expect, as he makes so much low-budget dross to help pay off real estate and tax debts, but to his credit, the alternative is to go bankrupt, and he refuses to do that.
Still, compared to most films of late, Arcadian passes 90 minutes without too much complaint, and it’s still better than the tedious A Quiet Place Part II!
It also did one thing I’ve not seen before in such a film…
Arcadian is in cinemas now on a limited release, but isn’t yet available to pre-order on Blu-ray or DVD. However, once announced, it will appear on the New DVD Blu-ray 3D and 4K releases UK list.
Detailed specs:
Cert: 
Running time: 92 minutes
Release date: June 14th 2024
Studio: RLJE Films
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Cinema: Cineworld Didsbury
Rating: 5/10
Director: Benjamin Brewer
Producers: Nicolas Cage, Arianne Fraser, Mike Nilon, Delphine Perrier, Braxton Pope, David M Wulf
Screenplay: Mike Nilon
Music: Kristin Gundred, Josh Martin
Cast:
Paul: Nicolas Cage
Joseph: Jaeden Martell
Thomas: Maxwell Jenkins
Charlotte: Sadie Soverall
Mrs. Rose: Samantha Coughlan
Mr. Rose: Joe Dixon
Hobson: Joel Gillman
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.