Arcadian Would Have Been A Better Video Game Than It Is A Film |
Unfortunately, Arcadian is an on-the-nose testosterone show, with a lot of noise but not enough substance, writes Swetha Ramakrishnan. |
THERE’S A MONSTER OUTSIDE YOUR DOOR. In another room, your father lies unconscious, having been attacked by a whole horde of the same monsters. You have to find a way to survive, rescue your dad, and outwit the creature outside your door. So you set a trap, wait until the monster reaches for the bait, and then spring your trap shut. Then you slaughter it, dissect its insides, and salvage what you can for the sake of medicine and other resources. It’s just another day in the dystopian world of Arcadian, the latest Nicolas Cage movie that recently released on Lionsgate Play. The “you” in the above scenario is 15-year-old Joseph. The father in question is Paul (Cage), and this is an impactful scene (perhaps the only one) that reveals more about the post-apocalyptic setting that is the foundation of Arcadian. As you are immersed deeper into this universe, this scene tells you a lot about Paul’s family dynamics, and what it takes to survive a horror-filled reality when the world around you is crumbling. |
When the film opens, we are shown a world ravaged by human waste and pollution. A virus in the air, and monsters that evolved out of bugs, have decimated most of the populace. Those who survived, inhabit barricaded homes, only getting outside while the sun is out. At night, dinosaur-cockroach hybrid monsters roam around looking to devour anything and everything that moves. Stream the latest films and shows with OTTplay Premium's Jhakaas monthly pack, for only Rs 249. Paul is a single dad (there’s no explanation given for what happened to the mother, but we are to assume she passed away due to either the pandemic or a monster), and has twin sons called Thomas and Joseph. The subversion here is refreshing, but it would have been nice to have stronger female characters. Unfortunately, Arcadian is an on-the-nose testosterone display, with a lot of noise and not enough substance. |
Joseph is the intelligent and responsible son, while Thomas is the rebel and spends most of his time wooing the neighbour’s daughter Charlotte Rose, who he is secretly in love with. The boys fight among themselves a lot, like most teenage boys do, but Paul has a survivalist system in place that has kept them alive this entire time. The three of them make it work, until one night, when Thomas accidently falls into a ditch and doesn’t make it home by sunset. Paul goes out to rescue him, but the monsters attack them, injuring Paul gravely and leaving Thomas incapacitated. The rest of the film explores how the boys manage to outwit the monsters and save their father. Arcadian is listed as a horror-thriller, but the film struggles to scare or thrill. At best, you could refer to the level of horror and thriller elements as “young-adult-ish” (I was more scared and thrilled while watching Hunger Games, if I’m being honest). This is a pity, because a post-apocalyptic and dystopian setting lends itself beautifully to world-building, drama, tension and explosive climaxes. Arcadian has none of these. What we get is half-baked writing, nonchalant performances, and monsters that could be AI-generated. This would have been a better video game than a movie. |
As a long-time admirer of the genre, it infuriates me that an interesting premise is ruined by generic treatment. There are way too many dystopian films out there, and there’s nothing that Arcadian does to stand apart from the rest, and this is its biggest fault. I can’t decide what’s the bigger crime in the film: the dramatic underutilisation of Nicolas Cage, the ghastly over-generalisation of the dystopian plot arcs, or the CGI monsters that may be better suited in another movie altogether. As I was typing it, I got my answer. Perhaps the worst thing about Arcadian is the shaky, handheld camera movements and confusing low-light cinematography in the first 20 minutes of the film. This kind of guerilla filmmaking is made worse by a grey-blue filter that seems to be omnipresent throughout the film. More intricate details (supported by better direction of photography) and consistently well-paced world-building would have helped the film settle into its story more. As it stands, Arcadian is altogether lazy and jarring. |
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