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Movie families have taught us that dads will stop at nothing to protect their children—even if it means putting their own lives at risk. That’s definitely the case in the thriller Arcadian, which follows a father’s quest to keep his kids safe from a vicious enemy that only comes out at night.
Arcadian stars Nicolas Cage as a father who’s spent the last 15 years protecting his twin sons following the destruction of the world as we know it. Now, Joseph (Jaeden Martell) spends his days thinking and tinkering, trying to find ways to make their lives better, while Thomas (Maxwell Jenkins) helps out a neighboring family while visiting their teenage daughter. At night, they close themselves in to protect themselves from the monsters lurking outside. But when Thomas doesn’t come home one night and his dad goes to find him, it unleashes a new danger.
Though we don’t learn a whole lot about what happened to the world and why—because it seems as though no one really knows for sure—it’s clear that the remaining families have figured out how to adapt. They cautiously go about their lives during the day and board up their homes at night to keep their loved ones safe from regular attacks by the monsters that come out in the darkness. But when the patterns start to change, it puts the survivors’ lives in danger.
Nicolas Cage tends to shine in over-the-top roles—and this post-apocalyptic thriller seems like a great way to showcase his unique abilities. But while he does get a few brief moments to shine, he’s definitely underused. He generally plays it straight, sticking to the role of the overprotective father whose strict rules have kept the trio safe. Really, the focus is more on the two boys—on their different personalities and priorities and the way they have to come together when it really matters.
As the family takes on one challenge after another, the action and tension build into something explosive as they’re forced to battle an army of strange and disturbing monsters. It’s definitely a stressful—and sometimes nightmare-inducing—thriller. But it also feels like it’s just the beginning of the story for these characters.
Though it doesn’t take full advantage of its talented star, Arcadian is a sometimes gripping post-apocalyptic monster movie. It probably won’t be a movie that you’ll put in regular viewing rotation, but if you love creature films, it’s worth checking out.
You can join this family in battle when Arcadian arrives in theaters on April 12, 2024.
Listen to the review on Reel Discovery:
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