"I don't like the way things are, it's horrible.
-- Well, it's only horrible sometimes."

From budding writer/ director Lorcan Finnegan comes the feature length film Vivarium off of a short by the same name from Garret Shanley... and it is absolutely wonderful. Viv shows vision, boldness, and the ability to tell well-formed tales that build off the bones of worn concepts. Finnegan and Shanley are two who should be added to your watchlist for all future endeavors.

Vivarium tells the story of a young couple attempting to stake out a foothold and begin their lives together. When they stumble across an eccentric realtor who ends up showing them a dream neighborhood that is both "near enough... and far enough", they get a little more than they bargained for...

Well shot, acted, and conceptualized, Viv is gripping and unsettling, if a little too long and -- like the idyllic neighborhood it takes place in -- a little too empty. This is clearly a feature film built from the scaffolding of a smart, dark, and unnerving short. Had this been about 25 minutes shorter, I would have lauded this as the scifi film of the year (2019 that is). As it is, however, it runs a little dry despite the sonorous notes of its high points and strong plot.

Vivarium is a rare early work that doesn't need to be considered for what it is rather than against film as a whole, but it does still benefit from the focused comparison. Similar to both Censor (2021) and His House (2020), Vivarium is a breakout film that firmly stands up to the competition, and absolutely excels when thought of in a vacuum. As a film at large, my rating above stands. As an early work from nascent crew however, Vivarium is an easy 8.5 - 9.0

Vivarium is very much the Twilight Zone film many of us have wanted for a long time, and it does not disappoint. So, turn on your GPS, tell your friends and family where you're going and for how long you'll be gone, and settle in for a homebuying experience unlike any other...

"He's gone missing.
-- Well, so have we."