Vivarium's Horror of Nothing

[@SpikimaMovies]

What was your favorite moment from Vivarium (if you have one, that is)?

[@amelia881]

when gemma stumbles through the parallel houses, the lighting and camera work makes me so uneasy

[@UdeMiwa]

I love it when the couple found out that the car's battery still working and they dancing. This is human.

[@seneketh]

The second "whatever".

[@dennismaberry7128]

the part where they wake up and flip off the alien child and it mimics them was really good comedic relief that felt like a very small gasp of fresh air in such a claustrophobic feeling movie

[@scourgeofsaltyness]

The Shots from above. They really made me anxious.

[@Indigo_404]

The shot of all the same houses with the single one having “help” on the roof instills some sense of primal dread in me. The fake clouds also make me feel some sort of instinctual, deep fear.

[@fabianweber6937]

When they replaced the 'help' with 'fu*k u' 😂

[@foxtrotnovember2564]

This is what hell wishes it could be.

[@loganwelty7094]

Agreed

[@gaymer5697]

That shit felt like you were in the midle of the ocean. Like anyone who/what sees that help mark knows they are there.

[@lucidalice5334]

I think it’s a similar fear like uncanny valley. Something that looks familiar but isn’t quite right.

[@gabi4248]

Did anyone else get chills/genuinely freaked out by the neighborhood in general, like it really reminded me of the scenery from The Cat in the Hat (I’m being fully serious, it made me extremely uncomfortable).

[@SaintAugustine17]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/fYXGgWePpq6Yfa8

[@sternbueb]

i was just about to comment about it looking like cat in the hat and was looking if anyone else thought so

[@supersucks]

I absolutely love it. Reminds me so much of liminal spaces, dreams

[@JohanKylander]

Made me think of Chinese Suburbs.

[@vedametatron]

@@supersucks absolutely!

[@xamalion7334]

This movie is pure dread. I don't get why it is reviewed negative by most people. I think the missing background of the creatures and the purposelesness of their existence adds to the dread. They simply exist and reproduct, killing humans in the process. And by doing so they are a perfect mirror how we act on this planet and with the beings around us.

[@nunyabiness9382]

Exactly. This movie infuriated me and i dismissed it. Two days later i realized i was still trying to break it apart and understand its concepts which made me realize how good it actually is.

[@docgonzobordel]

Yep ! It was perfect in it's own style imho.

[@communismisfreedom]

@@nunyabiness9382 yes dude... it was the first movie in a while that had me thinking of it days later.... even weeks, thats how I ended up on this video

[@ice9557]

Because it takes a hard turn to absolutely nowhere as soon as it starts.

[@stephenpmurphy591]

The major negative for me Jessie Eisnberg. I can't imagine him as a gardener or any job requiring manual labor.

[@PervertHeart]

What I liked the most was how the girl tries so hard to find out what is happening and gets a very brief grasp on it, just to die. It really cements the pointlessness of their struggle, it's like a goldfish trying to flee his aquarium.

[@liamanthonyalanpearson3419]

Except that would’ve been a better movie

[@Gappy-fm1fn]

@@liamanthonyalanpearson3419wrong

[@leeannremiker5758]

i enjoyed this film a lot. it’s honestly so scary to me, a teenager, feeling this existential dread of finally meeting the monotony of adulthood. i don’t understand why people LOATHE this movie, i find the lack of real answer or purpose to be exactly the point, just like you said.

[@realdrummerd0w00n5]

Same. And the thought of just working until you die, terrifying.

[@VeNoMziV]

Exactly!

[@johnpendell9042]

Get ready for that monotony. It’s inescapable.

[@ewaberchulska]

@@johnpendell9042 you shouldn't say those types of things :/

[@ianspacek7250]

@@ewaberchulska he's not wrong

[@spectranwolfinfusion]

The movie felt like a nightmare. The false/ surreal nature of it was so weird. I thought that one of the most terrifying parts was when Gemma ends up forming somewhat of a bond with it.

[@jaguarenduda]

Idk, I thought that maybe, if they actually tried to love the boy and raise him as a human child, it could have loved them back, enough for it to help them escape. But in all fairness, I don’t think anyone would have been able to do such thing...

[@gpsdoc2222]

@@jaguarenduda I feel like people will say they would act in an ideal way when in reality everyone including me might act completely different because we as humans react differently to situations despite what we say. But since they're basically powerless against the aliens, entities, more powerful beings or forces beyond human comprehension, I guess ideally they would treat the alien disguised as a boy with human compassionate and kindness. I read another person say similar to you "I can't help but wonder what would have happened if they decided to love the kid, or at least, try being real parents who taught him as best he could and end up with decent morals?" If I were trapped, I would want to be on good terms with the aliens. But in reality I would probably breakdown. Also what people say. This movie might reflect how broken kids from broken parents grow up to become broken parents who treat their kids bad in an never ending cycle.

[@jaguarenduda]

@@gpsdoc2222 I get you, I honestly have no idea how I’d react if I was in such situation… but I do believe in treating people with kindness as much as possible, and dealing with difficult situations as rationally as I can, I don’t usually get desperate and let my emotions take control of me. I do believe I would come to the conclusion that I came to while watching the movie: it’s not the boy’s fault, and he deserves love as much as a human baby. Also, antagonizing him wouldn’t help my situation at all. But as we said, this is all speculation and in reality it might have been very very different… also, I love the reflection on kids with abusive parents and the cycle of abuse, it wasn’t something I gave much thought on my viewing but I find it a great interpretation!

[@niclasjohansson5992]

@@jaguarenduda it seemed like the bird person was an entirely different being with a matching psychological grid. Just like you couldn't love the parasitic habit out of a cuckoo, you probably couldn't train this one to not be a real estate agent, since his kind would die out. Though I might be partial to seeing this film as an indictment of cuckoos, since I really don't see the pointlessness of the human life cycle

[@jaguarenduda]

@@niclasjohansson5992 yeah, but I just think that, the same way that acting as they did was part of the bird-people’s nature, loving the alien child would be a testament to our human nature, you know? I think it’s the most ethical and human thing to do, even if it turns out fruitless

[@davidjohn_va]

First time i saw the film.. The endless labyrinth of houses terrified me, not because of the creatures in it but more about the fact that there no escape besides death.. the slow creeping wait for death

[@realdrummerd0w00n5]

The chills I got from this. It is scary

[@acidmana6141]

well... death is an escape.

[@mRcordwilK]

​@@acidmana6141death is the next adventure

[@kathrynadler4160]

Shit is terrifying when the alien boy just lifts up the concrete, showing how he only has access to the fabric of the world and how malleable it is.

[@deerheart87]

I agree 💯

[@RichardGutierrezRG]

But it's only in the Yonder world. The realtor and couples have to drive to Yonder, driving past "real" roads, neighborhoods, traffic, etc. They eventually cross into a point of capture. Also, we never see if silly mother ever tries to lift the sidewalk again so we don't know if only the alien boy can do it. The realtor or another creature/alien has to lift the sidewalk to continually supply the couple with a baby, food, take their trash.

[@milkncookie]

You're over analyzing it. This movie was about how real estate agents are made.

[@mcchilde2903]

genius

[@karmasong74]

Buahahahahaha!!!!!

[@Pollypockets313]

i choked on my wrap

[@jesuschrist3439]

Lmaoo

[@KidsWithGuns1992]

Brilliant.

[@karenhall7775]

This movie has stuck with me more than any other recent horror movie I've ever seen. It almost has a sense of cosmic dread.

[@loanhongle74]

I KNOW RIGHT!!!!!

[@_nines8270]

9 may have been chosen instead of 8 because the path taken to draw a 9 has a specific starting point, but then curves back on itself and becomes trapped in a loop.

[@vinny5638]

beautiful catch

[@abishayforys]

omg yes

[@attalamarco9761]

Depends on how you draw your nines really

[@princesouthee6679]

same with 6

[@jordanjordan124]

That’s actually what the director said

[@mike18699-e]

I didn't realise this film had attracted so much dislike. Sure, it was flawed, but on the whole I really enjoyed it.

[@hen-m0ku766]

Same

[@thezachlambert]

@@hen-m0ku766 For real. I've been watching a lot of David Lynch recently and I feel like this film has some low key debts to him. That aside, it's one of those films that you're bound to get butthurt about if you try to extrapolate "real meaning" out of it. I appreciate it for the arresting visuals, the metaphors and motifs - although pointless or possibly shallow, they are powerful nonetheless. This film is essentially an hour and forty-five minute long surrealist painting.

[@jupiterisaak1004]

I liked it more in retrospect than when I initially watched it

[@beno1129]

True, it is a standout movie, it doesn't deserve the hate. It is thematic but at the same time not convoluted, and it certainly is different from other movies in the horror genre.

[@TyCollage]

People like it more than they know I feel. It's how upsetting the end result is, I hated this movie too but couldn't stop thinking about how unjust the outcome was. I hope the director made it this way on purpose and knew it would be panned.

[@jadesmediacorner]

the aspect of the food having no flavor was an element that scared me so horribly. im very passionate about food and i cant even imagine a life where the food has no flavor and its all just prepackaged lumps of nothing, made in the shape of food. this whole movie wrapped its grubby little fingers around my fear of just surviving.

[@jadesmediacorner]

@Ann Hanover hard agree. nothing here tastes like literally anything. spent a month in france and EVERYTHING tasted better than it does here, even mcdonald’s burgers tasted different.

[@m.r.9215]

@Ann Hanover I live in Mexico, visited the USA for a month and was shocked by how flavorless everything is. It is so expensive only for a lump of processed texture packaged in an obscene amount of plastic, and if you want to buy local and flavorful the price goes up until actual food is a luxury item. I survived, but almost cried with joy when I got back and could buy from my neighborhood market again.

[@asian-americanwithanopinio8954]

They were abducted by aliens, they don't know what human food tastes like or if they taste anything at all.

[@JOLIDESIR]

When I had COVid it was exactly like that. A nightmare.

[@captainarcher5205]

Yeah I was thinking I could live with it if they just gave me real food and wifi.

[@GasStationMan]

First spirals, now loops. Waiting to see which geometric concept gets horrorized next.

[@Threshermaw23]

Well there have been a few triangles over the years. Let‘s see who dips their toes in Dodekagon waters first

[@Uhlersoth77]

I can recall some fiction that involved angles...

[@matman000000]

Dont's forget Cube, Ring and Sphere

[@justincoleman3805]

They’re all around me! They’re all around me! You can’t stop Shapes!

[@justincoleman3805]

Cue the hero shot of a toddler putting the star piece in the star hole.

[@terrycullen3302]

I just watched the movie yesterday, and I think your interpretation is pretty bang on. I think some reviewers try to find deeper meaning in this movie, but I think the point is very simple: We are seeing a human version of the cuckoo life cycle. I think that's pretty much it.

[@levicuen5931]

I disagree, the cuckoo still gets to live in a real world. It just has to raise something else's baby, not get trapped in a fake existence as well.

[@headphonic8]

Yes but if that were the case, then the fake clouds and cookies cutter houses would be unnecessary. There's more to say about those aspects that go beyond the baby being a cuckoo

[@captainarcher5205]

I agree. We as humans are used to being at the top of the food chain. It’s terrifying to think of an organism that could trap us and then use us like cuckoos do to other birds.

[@Mirrtamirrv]

After watching this movie, I felt depressed for 2 days. I've seen tons of horror films and I can say that Vivarium is one of the best horrors I've ever seen. The dread and the uneasiness I felt while watching it is unmatched. Halfway in when I realized it was a metaphor for the human's life cycle, it hit me like a gut-punch. And because of the dark tone and the atmosphere of the movie, I physically felt sick. This is what I got from it: (We as in humankind) We live in houses that look alike- there's no uniqueness. We are here to work ourselves to death. (dig till he dies) We are here to reproduce, to raise next-generation possible evils, some of us didn't even want to have kids but life just happened that way and now they're stuck with the responsibility of raising a baby. The kid repeats everything the protagonist says, not because he wants to be annoying, but it represents how parenting works in real life; what you do or say, your kids will probably learn from you and do the same. There are a lot more metaphors I could draw from it but those are what stuck with me after watching it a few months back.

[@DaddyLaser]

well said... this film truly unnerved me

[@crimsonstreams]

It’s someone’s perspective, it’s not reality. Reality is a lot more hopeful than this

[@vinny5638]

@@crimsonstreams I feel like thats an important point, even if there is some objective truth that one could individually find in the perspectives raised here we can still change anything we want including our perspectives.

[@danielle8611]

same here!! i’ve seen countless horror/thriller/scifi and nothing’s ever unnerved me the way vivarium did. i think the lack of explanation of the creatures and the neighborhood made it that much scarier because of the implications

[@justincoleman3805]

Now try There’s Something About The Johnsons.

[@anonymousshawn9996]

The number 9 is a message in and of itself. It has a loop with a line going away. And a solid understanding in sigils shows the message to be, “break the cycle.”

[@vanman757]

Interesting indeed !!

[@baliart908]

this movie reminds me of scene where squirdward move to the real estate looping the same thing everytime

[@toxichris]

I saw this movie two months into lockdown after having not interacted with anyone for nearly the entire time. I felt so hollow and harrowed by the end of the movie. It really got its point across and for me that makes for a good movie.

[@TheEliminator16]

I had no idea that people disliked it, I thought it was excellent. Masterful dread, I was hooked by the end of the first scene. The warbler feeding the grotesquely large but still infantile cuckoo is such a horrible and ominous image. The rest of the movie lived up to the horror drawn from nature. Have people complaining that it was pointless just never watched a horror movie?

[@yolomayans1655]

People are growing uappreciative of real art and of perfection instead. Not the same thing. They think they can change a work of art these days, make it better. But it doesn't matter they didn't do it.

[@maybemablemaples2144]

Honestly it just shows how the one size fits all isn't perfect. Both the characters have very nurturing, creative jobs and are actually nice, hardworking people and in their rush to try and fit in they lose everything. I think this movie is great cause even if everything is shown to you it still makes you wonder or hope if they're gonna make it out. But you know deep down they won't and then you get to wondering if you would ever make it out and that's when the fear hits you.

[@sewwerwolf]

The “fakeness” of the community reminds me of the town in Edward Scissorhands and The Lorax. It is very interesting and even though I understand the dislike, I very much enjoy the feeling of it all

[@Thaistickthai]

I loved this movie! It burrowed deep inside my psyche and laid it's creepy, stylistic eggs and lives there taunting me from a place within myself. The walls muffle it's words to an unintelligible level but it's tone is so mocking I can infer it's intent. I am convinced it will lodge there until I am freed from this veil of tears.

[@anitapallenberg80]

Beautifully said!

[@Thaistickthai]

@@anitapallenberg80 I've a talented tongue i've been told ;)

[@jordanjordan124]

Are you okay

[@onastick2411]

If you are young it's understandable, if you are over 30 it's pretentious. I was the same about Catch 22, and that was some catch, that Catch 22. But that was a book, which has depth and meaning. Read "Day of the Triffids", or "The Midwich Cuckoos", it's all been done before.

[@opopopop6286]

@@onastick2411 i thought those lesser works of art were nice, yet this one DID manage to top them all because it is ORIGINAL, and ground breaking with many of it's themes. Also the STYLE that was used, the filmography, pure horror without all the tropes of old being used.

[@31webseries]

It would've benefited a great deal by being shorter but I liked Vivarium. But then again I don't have kids, am not married, and a house in the suburbs would be like hell to me so I'm probably more the target audience.

[@kayleighbrown459]

I didn't bring this up before cause I felt it was kinda obvious but I haven't see anyone else mention it so I guess I'll bring it up. It seems pretty obvious that this film is trying to evoke the feelings of being an animal trapped in a cage. Like, nothing's real, the things you interact with aren't natural, there's just enough stimulation to stop you from going insane, the food is bland, there's this vague underline feeling that you're being watched. They don't really exist for any reason other than....simply existing. That's a pet. Not like a dog or a cat but like a bird, or a lizard. They're being held as pets. In a vivarium. This isn't just about us being driven away from nature, it's about us attempting to capture it from the perspective of the captured.

[@DeathnoteBB]

Oh damn 😮

[@tonyabrookes9931]

I loved the uniqueness of this film. It was haunting and honest. It perfectly illustrates the emptiness of many people's lives and "pursuits"

[@James4791zx]

👍👍

[@corwinjkabuki]

I think it's a visual metaphor for married/parenting life, the repetitive nature of it all. How what we would imagine to be a perfect home and neighborhood, can gradually turn into an imperfect nightmare!

[@James4791zx]

👌👌👍👍

[@anthonyloveschickens]

tahnk you for pointing out that detail about the clouds... its kinda creepy.

[@robertdochter277]

If you liked this film I highly recommend checking out the similarly plotted second season (and the other three seasons) of the criminally underrated show, Channel Zero.

[@robertdochter277]

@Nelly The show overall is amazing, and I highly recommend it. To describe the seasons in one word would be. Season 1 = Creepy. Season 2 = Surreal. Season 3 = Gruesome. Season 4 = Dreamlike

[@nekeidrialee8813]

Completely underrated show!!!!

[@robertdochter277]

I am glad that you enjoyed it Nelly.

[@kadreabrazil]

CRIMINALLY underrated, I’ve watched butchers block about five times.

[@Peeplii]

No End House is one of my fave creepypastas but man, the season they did of it freaked me tf out

[@BW242]

My wife and I watched this when our kid was about 4, and did it ever twist our anxieties of being good parents into this horrifying turn. Any scene of attempting an empathetic interaction with the child made my stomach sink. To this day we still say "I'M A MYSTERY" to each other our in impression of the child's voice, usually when one of us is really focused on that anxiety.

[@kookvik]

Your videos are amazing, the effort you put on your work it's clearly noticeable, I love it.

[@sarenswiftfoot9811]

It's been about 30 minutes since I watched this movie and I still have the chills, I think it might be the scariest movie I've ever seen, it's not like other movies where it's spooky or gross out gor instead it gave me this this deep down sense of dread, it felt like an actual nightmare. I kept tearing up, shaking or getting chillsat at seemingly random moments, I even screamed a little when they went under.

[@aallerton]

The neighborhood in the movie is actually not very different from many American suburbian gated communities, where every house is basically the same. Last year I visited such a place in California desert, a few hours ride from LA and it gave a similar dead vibe, especially in the evening and at night, though the houses were certainly occupied by families. My impression was that they people living there are merely waiting for death to come. It already gave me some chills athough I hadn't seen "Vivarium" back then.

[@OctopusOwl]

The green shade used is the same colors that Disney uses as it’s background staging doors and things it doesn’t want people to notice. It’s called “go away green”

[@isaacgruver7061]

Gemma: Why do you keep digging? Tom: It's gotta lead somewhere, right? This interaction here is the one that stuck with me the most

[@pattayaesl7128]

This movie reminded me of the empty terror of my suburban childhood.

[@BigMac8000]

I just placed whole new meaning on "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" with a sudden realization that title was way more awesome than I'd ever given it credit.

[@mickesmanymovies]

This movie is close to the ultimate proof that there's just no pleasing some people... Movies with hidden subtext gets dismissed as anything from smug and difficult to TRYING to be smug and difficult. And then there's a movie like this, with almost NO hidden subtext. You don't have to look for the message, because it's right there, large as life, for anyone to see. And then THAT'S not good either... 'Vivarium' creeped me out. It was unpleasant, infuriating and gave me anxiety - and for all that, I really liked it!

[@SilverishKitten]

that's why i ultimately didnt like the movie. It's elementary, while trying to pass off as poingnant and smart. but only dumb people would feel smart after watching. The movie is extremely easy to decipher and feels like the director just wasnt very prepped.

[@mickesmanymovies]

@@SilverishKitten I get what you're saying...and I know tastes vary, of course. But just the same, an easily deciphered movie isn't neccessarily the same as a bad movie. You wanted it to be intricate and mind bending, and it wasn't, so you were disappointed. I had no idea what it was when sitting down to watch it. Seriously, I knew nothing except that I saw Jesse Eisenberg in a still image. I did try to work out the non existant puzzles as the movie went along, but still managed to totally lose myself in the simple and claustrophobic story. In the end it turned out that there was nothing for me to solve, but that never detracted from the story itself.

[@mickesmanymovies]

@Friskian I have yet to see that. But I did watch a trailer for it last week. Looked REALLY good!

[@mickesmanymovies]

@Friskian I actively avoid anything written or shown about it until I see it. Just that one trailer the one time. But thanks for the warning!

[@fabianweber6937]

Nah I just don't like plotholes in my movies... what was up with the end and this parallel dimension. Or simpler why did the boy take their car at the end ? They for sure have been reported missing and so has their car. What if a police officer makes a traffic stop... with his weird behavior they gone for sure take him in.

[@CarlErikSimonsen]

Part of the reason why I love this movie is that the creatures are never explained. Unknown and unknowable. Aaaand they're really upfront about it with the character design innit

[@charlieraven6342]

Idk who isn't scared of this movie, as soon as the clouds show up im like lololol NOPE

[@TheFullNEWS]

they looked so fake what is the issue 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@goodkrypollo1706]

@@TheFullNEWS The clouds being fake IS the issue. Imagine being stuck in a fake world you cannot escape from.

[@Star-pl1xs]

@@TheFullNEWS THAT IS THE ISSUE

[@jilow0x059]

The end of the film... when Complicated Game by XTC kicks in, that sold me, that ending was so brilliantly done it wrapped everything up and just put a bow tie on top. I got goosebumps throughout that whole sequence it was so well done

[@malako777A]

who would have killed the alien baby??? I would.

[@milesl.2467]

Of course, but then again there's the fact that it's probably virtually impossible to kill it

[@spiderdude2099]

It’s not that simple. Like the movie portrays, it’s suggesting that humans are like the rock warbler bird. From the outside it seems ridiculous that the bird would nourish the parasitic cuckoo. But....it nevertheless still does. It is for whatever reason compelled to. We can look at the actions of the two main characters as “pointless”, “ridiculous” we may even say “gosh, if that was me I’d kill that kid immediately!” But what the movie is suggesting is that if we were in that situation ourselves we would have no choice. We would do it regardless of whatever knowledge we might have of the future. The movie implies that even if the characters knew they would die, they would still be compelled to do everything exactly the way they did before. We can’t escape the loop even if we think we can. We are not stronger than nature and unseen instinctual forces. Just like the rock warbler.

[@malako777A]

@@spiderdude2099 i totally get that... actually this is my petpeeve with pennywise from IT.... the creature is a predator that feeds on fear, in theory no kids would escape it. right?

[@elocxv]

Would have left it in the box

[@vinny5638]

@@spiderdude2099 what a brilliant response & synopsis dude, cheers.

[@elocxv]

I wonder if the aliens would provide other commodities upon request. Also, if there ever was any real chance in being “released”. The way they work in her being a school teacher and being able to manipulate the boy into revealing his true form was a nice touch. The parallel dimensions was also very trippy and thrilling to have further insight to what other prisoners were doing.

[@glenpork1628]

I didn't know Vivarium received alot of negative reviews. This movie is currently living rent free in my head, along with Oldboy, I Saw the Devil, Wind River, The Wailing and No Country for Old Men...

[@maocharlisme]

Great! Finally a long overdue and utmost justified film about the horrors of Scandinavian interior design!

[@James4791zx]

😅😅

[@MazZedong]

Loved this film when I saw it. Never seen anything like it and despite the fact nothing much happens I was still amused by how they coped day to day and interacted with each other, at first with their futile attempts to escape or seek help, and eventually the acceptance of their fate and descent into madness

[@nullset560]

It has to be a reference to the ghost-estates that sprang up around Ireland in the mid 2000's, developments that were abandoned after the financial crisis. Just endless, copy and pasted estates with no one living in them.

[@anonymousanonymous3012]

A vivarium (Latin, literally for "place of life"; plural: vivaria or vivariums) is an area, usually enclosed, for keeping and raising animals or plants for observation or research. Water-based vivaria may have open tops providing they are not connected to other water bodies. An animal enclosure is considered a vivarium only if it provides quality of life through naturalistic components such as ample living space and natural decor that allow and encourage natural behaviours. Often, a portion of the ecosystem for a particular species is simulated on a smaller scale, with controls for environmental conditions such as temperature, humidity and light. A vivarium may be small enough to sit on a desk or table, such as a terrarium or an aquarium, or may be a very large structure, possibly outdoors. Large vivaria, particularly those holding organisms capable of flight, typically include some sort of a dual-door mechanism such as a sally port for entry and exit, so that the outer door can be closed to prevent escape before the inner door is opened.

[@loganwelty7094]

This film gave me pure, primal dread the entire 97 minute runtime. What a horrible, hysterical, nightmarish trip.

[@TheGruffchickJournal]

So this is where Jared Kushner comes from.

[@xanthiara]

Bahahaha! This is spot on

[@jneilson7568]

That dynamo, lol.

[@ericjourdain892]

Brilliant 🤣

[@biyancuh]

I haven't watched this movie but I just found your channel. Dude you're brilliant, I love how you're able to explain things that people don't realize on a conscious level, like why the fakeness bothers us: because of the hollowness. I'm in awe of your ability to articulate. :)

[@BlueMagicite]

tbh I took it as a read on Lorcan and Garret's experiences in film as an art form and, in the case of people who make it their career and passion, their lives. There's this weird mindset in some film studios where they ask you to treat the film you're working on (whether as an assistant or as a producer) as if it's your child, studios like Pixar are particularly (in)famous for this. I sorta took this film as a great encapsulation on how film (and art/passions in general) can cause us to be robins taking care of a cuckoo. Cuckoos are genuinely very beautiful birds who are simply trying to survive but are still doing so at a cost to another group, in this case the workers who actually make the film come to fruition. It's kinda similar to Nope by Jordan Peele in how the film can be read as his experiences working in Hollywood as a black artist.

[@opopopop6286]

The film was a work of genius in a myriad of ways. Very imaginative, would love to see what a follow-up movie could do.

[@enesitsme]

This movie looks like an indie music video clip, where everything looks beautiful, but hollow.

[@PowerrangerInWhite]

This is the type of movies I consider art...

[@lauralouwhooo]

As a childfree person, I *got* this film. I think the very concept of it makes a lot of people mad. Truthfully this is how I think of people who live in the suburbs, crank out kids, & work all the time. You live, you die, and in between you lose yourself to all the things you're *supposed* do to but that you hate, and that end up meaningless in the end

[@Hazy-dreamer]

This movie brought with it the greatest fears of mine: having a child and the meaninglessness of everything around me :) Edit: god you guys are annoying just accept not everyone wants kids and a lot of us are afraid of it. Congratulations if you do no one asked.

[@thewalkingmic5]

Same. It deepened my fear of “settling down”

[@jackmullan2160]

It’s like a sinking anxious void

[@onimaru1894]

Seek God.

[@Hazy-dreamer]

Onimaru no thanks

[@raprap543]

I wonder why Nihilists won’t just kill themselves since they think that nothing in life matters and is meaningless

[@Blorpifyme]

This movie genuinely freaks my dad out and basically nothing scares him. He actually refuses to watch it again because he hates it so much.

[@SillyTubereal]

This was one of the best horror movies I've ever watched. I would love to see a sequel.

[@PianoIsArt]

Out of every single horror movie I've ever watched, this is the only one that got into my head and I couldn't stop thinking about it for over a week. Its surprising what scares and what sticks with you

[@shioriharu]

Just when i was really getting into it, bam, a fucking ad. It feels like being near climax but then denied.

[@monfinna]

I adore this movie. This movie gives off such a unique vibe and dread you won’t get from any other film

[@AM-xe4iq]

The neighborhood itself is creepy asf. I hate it. It’s literally how a nightmare would start.

[@tribbybueno]

this movie was so weird and uncomfortable. i took a shower after finishing it

[@jaguarenduda]

omg I literally did the same lol

[@juchidaf]

I never considered this as a bad movie, quite the contrary. This films really intrigued me, trying to understand every single detail from it made it hard, nothing made sense but now that you say it, pointlessness is the word to describe it. Some events were really hard to explain, like the parallel house or the flavorless food. This video really helped me understand a bit more but still, there are things I cant really grasp on.

[@starbrand3726]

This movie scared the crap out of me. Why? Because the "horror" is in how helpless the main characters were. I can run from the masked killer, I can fight the axe wielding murderer, I can learn how to counter the demonic forces, but here, in Vivarium, there's nothing you can do. Utterly helpless. And the reason the main characters didn't just refuse to care for the baby or just kill it? Hope. They were told that if they cooperated they would be freed. Plus, like the cuckoo, we are preprogrammed to care for babies.

[@hakimchulan]

You're right :(

[@fongdimbulator]

I haven't yet seen this film but your description of the place with the fake clouds reminds me of the idea of Liminal Spaces greatly. Liminal Spaces are common in game design, and the uneasy feeling these spaces create are often experienced when exploring game environments designed for multiple players solo; Counterstrike maps are a great example.

[@lilstabbiecoogan]

Vivarium was the most unsettling film I've ever watched and that is a compliment to the work and director. It was so well executed, it made me never want to live a banal and bland life.

[@llywelyngruffydd8474]

The director explained that it's a movie about the way young people end up trapped by a failed system. They end up in debt, in dead end jobs, unable to afford homes and children, and so on, all while chasing the carrot of a future or something as simple and basic as starting a family and in the process make our corrupt overlords rich. I'm paraphrasing him obviously, but that was the gist of it. If you understand that this is what it's about, it's a brilliant, truthful, angry, and cathartic movie. I think it's fantastic and appreciation of it will grow over time.

[@hakimchulan]

Your picture scared me more than the movie

[@James4791zx]

👍👍👍👌

[@jaguarenduda]

I loved this movie, it made me feel indescribable dread. But I don’t think it is a metaphor for human life at all, but nature in general - why does anything exist? Biologically speaking, the purpose of all life is to reproduce, creating new life to repeat the cycle. There’s not a reason for animals or plants or even bacteria to exist, they just do, and reproducing the species is the ultimate goal. That’s why the aliens(?) where doing that to humans, much like the cuckoo in the beginning of the movie they’re parasitic: they rely on humans to raise their babies. The entire purpose of the whole thing is to guarantee their species reproduction, nothing more. EDIT: I actually wrote this comment before watching the video, in a response to most of the other comments... wonderful analysis!

[@yolomayans1655]

Best comment. Ppl should read it more. It's only a problem to us humans bc we have "a heart" And understand the concept of good.

[@Dwg247]

I go to sleep to this movie every night. This movie is so weird, but I love every bit of it, and I don’t understand why! 😩😩😩 I can’t stop watching it!

[@matthewconstantine5015]

I really enjoyed this film. It almost made my top ten from last year. I hadn't read any reviews, and I'm kinda surprised it got such negative feedback.

[@user-ns4zm8qe9p]

This movie was several layers of unsettling

[@FelixDegenaar]

Most commentators here agree: this was a GREAT film. I really don't see how you could view it otherwise. The message(s) was/were pretty clear to me, the execution and feel of the movie brilliant. We enjoyed it thoroughly. One of the best horrors of the past years.

[@mcu44]

this movie was especially relatable because of the pandemic. living the same day over and over and over again and that cycle of dread is represented perfectly in vivarium.

[@fergin4979]

I hadnt even heard of this movie but you really sold it ill have to check it out. Something funny though, since you had already showed clips/described the end and i saw someone mention how hood the music in that scen was i decided to youtube the ending; and theres like a 35 minute video explaining the ending, something tells me they dont get it if it took 25 min just to say “the aliens’ life cycle is like the cuckoo foreshadowed in the beginning” the simplicity of it really is a nice treat

[@j8on]

the best explanation for this movie.. i appreciate how you included comparison clips to show the metaphors..

[@krychickspp2745]

I recently watched Vivarium on a whim, even though I don't care for Jesse Eisenberg at all. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it after a few viewings. The addition of Ska to anything in life is also awesome. 🙂

[@beno1129]

True, plus Jesse Eisenberg in his 30s is certainly more tolerable than Jesse in his 20s lol

[@rk1356]

I loved your analysis and I can say I understand the film much better. I can also say as a 43 year old single male that lives alone and always has - I decided as a young teenager that the cycle of life that humans so delicately and deliberately follow was absolutely not for me.

[@originaozz]

Watching this analysis after the AI boom turns the film into something else entirely. When I first watched it, the film feels like being stuck in the common cycle of adulthood that is ideal, but stripped off any warmth that makes those things worth living for. Now it makes me think of how much we are willing to give away and how easy it is to lose our humanity for a serviceable substitute just because that's more "convenient" and "efficient".

[@chasehedges6775]

True💯💯. Self destruction at its finest

[@TheMauerbauer]

It's honestly one of the best films I've ever seen and I thought it was about capatalisms commoditization of every aspect of living which also leads to dreading hollowness of life itself

[@huffn_puffn3710]

Genuinely, outside of the directors own words, the only reference to the obvious critique of commodity fetishisation and alienation under capitalism ive seen in the comments of videos, in videos themselves, or in articles about this film. Youve restored my hope

[@TheMauerbauer]

@ I‘m so glad you see it too haha. Weird because it seemed so obvious but literally no one picked up on it

[@bartjuhh12]

I’ve been digging through your videos, they look an awful lot like my ‘watched movie’ list! Subbed!

[@yuiopajeipotatoes85]

honestly. this film felt so suffocating and distressing that I can't ever bring myself to watch it again.

[@austins.2495]

I like this film. I can see why alot of people wouldn't like it, no one wants their art to make them think anymore. You have to spoon feed the masses

[@kikasse220]

No 😂 how arrogant are you? Because the movie is extremely boring and doesn't do anything with it's premise, we just didn't think. Wtf was there even to think about?😂😂

[@justincoleman3805]

Think about how you are cry laughing when nothing funny was said. It seems you laugh when uncomfortable. Or it is a sign of your own arrogance. It’s an enjoyable film because it was made with skill. It didn’t cause an existential crisis in me either. But it’s a far better film than most where “the premise” doesn’t meet audience expectations.

[@kikasse220]

@@justincoleman3805 safe to say I'm an arrogant man. No doubt this movie was made very carefully. It's bad because of it's narrative decisions or lack thereof

[@KalispellBarbell]

The amount of pretentiousness in this comment lol. It wasnt a great movie, if you liked it that’s fine.

[@mariahyohannes]

Do you feel superior because you understood it and others didn't?

[@sidneygordon2804]

This movie is sooo fucking good and majorly underrated.

[@SzymonAdamus]

Your analysis in the context of nature is interesting. Certainly nature (or rather lack of it) plays an important role here. Although I was more interested in the metaphor of parenthood. A child appearing unexpectedly in the family on the one hand strengthens the relationship, but on the other it is a huge challenge for young parents. The child itself, as a being, is also so detached from our adulthood, different in terms of psychological and ibiological needs, that it seems to be a completely different form of creature. Foreign. Alien even. The film also talks in an interesting way about the consequences of a lack of sensitivity and acceptance of a child. Would adult Martin 2 still be so alien if he were shown more understanding and love? Wouldn't every creature be a monster if he had heard from his mother all his life that he was not her son? The problem with this film is that it serves interesting, yet quite simple things, in a very monotonous and tedious form. Of course, this monotony is necessary to create an allegory of life. However, the director went a bit too far with it and the film, unfortunately, just drags on :( PS I like your reasoning and argumentation, but in my opinion at the end you've went a bit too far. 9 is definitely not a loop :)

[@SpikimaMovies]

Nicely said! And 9 def isnt a loop- its just kinda 'loopy' / also something the director said was his intention behind choosing no.9 so i borrowed it ;)

[@kycool8684]

I think 9 is loopy because it starts straight, then loops infinitely in the end. Kind of like how before the fake world everything was normal and then, it was too late.

[@roxiebabe4180]

This film touches the subject of how nature and nurture goes hand in hand...

[@ironsnowflake1076]

I enjoyed every moment of your analysis...and I think there is something beautiful in the seeming pointlessness of life, in a reality where our most profound questions seem almost unanswerable...we must carry-on with the mundane day-to-day necessities. Subscribed 🎥📽️🎦🎬

[@pamelas1816]

I don't know why people don't like this movie; it's one of my favorites! My husband and I joke that we live in a neighborhood like the one in the Vivarium; all the houses look similar and "perfect." This is just how life is.

[@fooolsun4917]

I would have never guessed that people disliked this movie. Of course, it isn't a masterpiece, but even without understanding all the metaphors and meaning, it was entertaining, interesting and definitely scary. When i watched it i simply thought it was a metaphore of the average "adult" life.

[@redbullwiseman4805]

It was a genius film. I watched it at night with headphones on the whole time I was thinking, what is going on? But I never left my seat.

[@seneketh]

I was blown away by this movie! Essence of existentialism. Hard to stomach, but not less true because of it.

[@oliviacostello4350]

It is really stressful to watch, but amazing

[@no-tg4me]

Essence of essentialism

[@Aeryn4John]

I think part of the problem with the reception of Vivarium is that it came out in 2020. So you have a couple being trapped in a house at the same time that people were really isolated in their homes. It gave the whole movie a sense of the surreal. It's a great movie but it's not an easy movie.

[@elizabeth3506]

the thought of being stuck in a place, no color, no change, no...life to it. i’m someone who falls into from those depressive episodes are nothing feels different, where every day feels the same with no meaning... falling into those periods is hell. i couldn’t imagine just living like that for the rest of life...

[@WitchKing-Of-Angmar]

That neighborhood is less a neighborhood, and more an unfamiliar ocean.

[@chasehedges6775]

Pretty much. Utter endlessness

[@RealCanadianGoose]

This night be my favorite horror movie just because of how pointless it is. They are just another family, they are not the first or last. Just another couple caught in the trap. Absolutely horrifying knowing that nothing changes at the end of the film...

[@Matthewmest]

The acting is gold in this film especially of the woman

[@-d-devil-3393]

The song at the end was cool too. "It's just a complicated game"...

[@joshuapegrum9111]

Just finished watching the film..... that is ART!