Vivarium - Disturbing sci-fi story where a couple gets trapped inside an inexpiable neighborhood

Be aware, the creepiness in this film gets very intense in some scenes and in a very unique way. Rarely I encounter concepts in films that surprise me with its levels of bizarre, and this one certainly did.

The story is about a young couple that is looking to buy a house and start a family. They go to a state agent's office to check the availability and this is where we encounter the first red flag. This agent doesn't seem like a normal person. He seems stiff.

They go to visit the house and there is the second red flag, as we can see in the poster, in this neighborhood all of the houses look the same. I think everyone would understand if houses have a similar style and design, but in this place, each house is 100% identical. This is not normal.

The third and final red flag I am going to mention happens when they are checking the inside of the house, at some point the state agent suddenly repeats the exact same words the woman said a few seconds ago. What was that all about?

What happens after this point has been one of the most creepy experiences I have had while watching movies in recent times. Both main actors do a good job portraying a couple under growing stress and the psychological toll this type of impossible situation would produce on anyone.

There are some crude elements that reminded me of the crudeness of a Black Mirror episode called Black Museum. If you enjoyed that episode and weren't really disturbed by it, you can easily tolerate this movie. Which is softer in a sense because there is no violence, gore or extremely cruelty, but trust me when I say this film has one of the most creepy character there is.

The movie can be interpreted as some kind of reflection in current issues faced by young couples, but this would be reading too much between the lines. I think that despite the fact the movie isn't clear about the nature of what we are seeing, we simply need to read the title and realize what this is. A vivarium, this is exactly what we are seeing, it is just not the type of vivarium we are used to seeing.

If you like mystery, sci-fi and have enjoyed Black Mirror and The Twilight Zone episodes or the sadly canceled Channel Zero anthology series, you will probably enjoy this flick. The story isn't gentle at all and it has harsh moments but it was well-done in my opinion. A very interesting concept with some scenes that were a bit disturbing but in a cool way.

The best

• I enjoy this type of creepiness but I am aware it could be too awkward for some people.
• Good performances from the entire cast.

The worst

• No explanation is given about the creepy place and character. There is not even a hint except in the name of the film, which gives the film a darker tone in hindsight and explains the purposely obvious CGI.

More information: https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/458305-vivarium
Review: AAA
In numbers: 7/10