‘Vivarium’: An eerie sci‑fi horror about suburban life on repeat | The Haunted Column

If you are looking for a science fiction horror that feels offbeat yet quietly haunting, ‘Vivarium’ is a solid pick. Directed by Lorcan Finnegan and starring Jesse Eisenberg and Imogen Poots, the film draws you in with its unsettling tone and makes you think about far more than its surface story.
On paper, the plot seems simple: Tom and Gemma, a young couple looking to buy their first home, are taken by a real estate agent to a new suburban housing development. At first, the neighbourhood seems ideal, perfectly identical houses, manicured lawns and clear blue skies. But soon, they realise something is wrong. Every road they take loops back to the same house. The food tastes artificial, the sun never seems to move, and there is no way out.

The movie’s strength lies in how it slowly amplifies that unease. Days pass, then weeks, and Tom and Gemma are forced to raise a strange child delivered to them in a cardboard box. The boy grows at a disturbing speed and mimics their voices in unsettling ways, as if learning how to be human. Instead of nurturing feelings, this child becomes another layer of confinement — a responsibility neither of them wanted but cannot ignore.

Eisenberg and Poots bring depth to this bleak setting. At first, their relationship is their lifeline, but soon the stress and monotony pull them apart. Tom spends all his time digging an enormous hole in the yard, convinced escape lies underground. His obsession is a striking metaphor for how people can disappear into endless work, losing sight of family and purpose. Gemma tries to care for the boy, even as she reminds him again and again, “I am not your mother.” Her conflict reflects how duty and resentment can coexist in parenthood.

Visually, ‘Vivarium’ is striking. The colour palette is washed in muted greens and sterile whites, creating a dreamlike yet suffocating feel. Every house is identical, every street a copy, giving the sense that life itself is being manufactured. This design cleverly mirrors the film’s deeper commentary, that chasing the perfect suburban dream can feel like living inside a box, repeating the same routine until all meaning drains away.

There are echoes of ‘The Truman Show’ in the artificial environment and its hidden observers, but ‘Vivarium’ leans into horror rather than satire. It also recalls films like ‘Coherence’ and ‘Before I Fall’ in the way time and space loop back on themselves, creating a nightmare you cannot wake up from.

What sets ‘Vivarium’ apart from typical sci fi horror is its refusal to explain everything. There are no detailed backstories about the creatures behind the neighbourhood or why the system exists. Instead, the film trusts viewers to find their own meaning, making it linger in your mind long after the credits roll.

In the end, ‘Vivarium’ is more than a strange horror story. It is a reflection on the pressure to conform, the quiet despair hidden in picture-perfect lives, and the way routine can consume a person. It may not offer jump scares or neat resolutions, but if you are willing to sit with its unease, it offers something far more lasting: a film that leaves you thinking about the boxes we all build around ourselves.
(The movie is streaming on JioHotstar)