Vivarium

In the dark fantasy film 'Vivarium,' a young woman named Gemma (played by Imogen Poots) and her fiancé, Tom (played by Jesse Eisenberg), are on the hunt for the ideal starter home. The couple is looking for a place to settle down and start their new life together, but as they continue their search, they find themselves feeling increasingly disillusioned with the options presented to them. The houses they visit seem hollow and uninviting, lacking the charm and character they crave. Their fortunes change when they meet Martin (played by Jonathan Aris), a peculiar and intimidating real estate agent with an unsettling presence. Martin leads them to a housing development on the outskirts of Dublin, promising them the perfect starter home for their burgeoning family. As they follow Martin through the labyrinthine streets of the housing development, Tom and Gemma begin to feel a creeping sense of unease. The houses are identical, an eerie reminder that they have entered a world devoid of individuality and character. The couple's excitement and anticipation turn to frustration as they begin to realize that Martin has no intention of showing them an actual house. Instead, he seems intent on delivering them into the clutches of the sinister and vapid residents of the development. As night begins to fall, Martin lingers, refusing to leave, and eventually, the door to the car closes shut, separating Tom and Gemma from the outside world. They are trapped. Panic sets in as they attempt to escape, but every door they try leads to more of the same identikit houses. Their hopes of finding the perfect home gradually disintegrate, replaced by an unshakeable sense of desperation. Tom's anxiety intensifies as Gemma begins to weaken under the strain of their desperate predicament. The cracks in their relationship grow deeper, and they start to blame each other for their desperate situation. Just as all hope seems lost, Gemma becomes unexpectedly pregnant, giving birth to a strange, misshapen child. Their hope of escape seems even more remote, as they must now contend with the responsibilities of parenthood. As the months pass, the couple's despair deepens, their conversations becoming strained and awkwardly stilted. Tom and Gemma struggle to reconcile their love for each other with the harsh realities of their new life. Their situation becomes increasingly isolated as they grow increasingly reclusive. The child, which Martin insists on referring to as 'Nine-y-five,' or 'Niney,' for short, sets about transforming their lives. Tom and Gemma's existence becomes suffocated by the demands of caring for the child, and the relentless routine of feeding and nurturing it becomes a numbing, yet essential, part of their new reality. Throughout the film, Tom's feelings become increasingly troubled by the enigmatic nature of their offspring. The child grows at an inexplicable rate, acquiring the ability to move about and navigate the world with alarming speed. Its gaze is unsettling, with an unsettling air of detached, malevolent intent that seeps deep into Tom's psyche. Meanwhile, as Tom's emotional resilience wears thin, Gemma recedes further into herself. Her sense of identity has become increasingly tied to her roles as wife, mother, and caregiver. She labors under the weight of these multiple identities, feeling trapped and stifled by her stifling domestic circumstances. The eventual, inevitable relationship breakdown looms, a confrontation that was perhaps inevitable, given the suffocating reality they have been forced to inhabit. The nature and fate of their child remain enigmatic throughout the film. Their desperation to learn its origins and motivations lies futile, stonily met by Martin's untroubled silence and cryptic indifference to the couple's pain. Tom and Gemma come to realize that their journey ultimately serves no purpose other than that which has been determined for them by forces beyond their control.