Vivarium

Gemma and Tom, a couple looking for a first home, are lured by a peculiar real estate agent to a secluded development. What seems like a dream quickly curdles into a nightmare as they enter a world of matchbox houses that all look the same. With no obvious escape, the pair discovers they must care for a strange baby that does not fit any ordinary expectations. The more they explore, the tighter the maze becomes, turning their modern life into a suffocating trap. Every street mirrors the last, doors open to identical hallways, and even their attempts to contact the outside world loop back to the same empty voicemail. Food and water vanish with no explanation as the house's space seems to rewrite itself around them.

Directed by Lorcan Finnegan from an original screenplay by Garret Shanley, Vivarium arrived in 2019 as a tense, offbeat Irish sci fi thriller that leans into atmosphere over spectacle and relies on a stark, clinical sense of confinement.

Critics praised its claustrophobic mood and stark visuals, with standout work from Imogen Poots and Jesse Eisenberg. The film explores suburban alienation, the pressure to start a family, and the way ordinary space can feel like a trap, lingering after the credits.

Since its release, Vivarium has earned a small but devoted following among fans of unsettling thrillers who discuss its symbolism, real estate motifs, and the uneasy questions it raises about what home means in a consumer driven world. Its textures invite comparisons to art house horror and social thrillers, inviting debate beyond simple scares.

Awards: The film did not receive major nominations. It gathered attention in indie circles and some festival chatter, but it did not compete for recognized prizes, leaving its reputation built on audience reaction and critical interpretation rather than trophies, a testament to its provocative, stubborn ambiguity and lasting resonance.