Arcadian 4K 2024 Ultra HD 2160p

Earth has experienced the end of the world, wiping out almost all humans. Paul and his sons Thomas and Joseph are among the few survivors, holed up in a remote house. Their lives are still far from peaceful: with every sunset, ferocious and cruel creatures awaken, destroying all life in their path. But one day they will have to step out into the darkness.

User Review
Fifteen years ago, an unknown catastrophe wiped out most of the Earth's population. The few survivors found themselves forced to hide from the flesh-eating monsters that appeared, who come out to hunt during the hours of darkness. Paul (Nicolas Cage) and his sons Joseph (Jaden Martell) and Thomas (Max Jenkins) have settled on a remote farm. Next door, spouse Rose and daughter Charlotte (Sadie Soverall) have settled down. Thomas often shies away from helping his father and brother, preferring to spend his time in the company of a pretty neighbor. One day he fails to make it home before sunset. Paul goes in search of his son. Joseph is left alone at home. For everyone, this night could end badly.

Advance phrase “post-apocalyptic horror with Nicolas Cage” sounds great. The actor's face on the poster and last name in the credits work better than any advertising, especially when it comes to a low-budget indie. In theory, “Cage vs. Monsters” could be another genre hit in the vein of the chiseled “Mandy” or the touching “Pig”. However, all expectations are shattered by the unfortunate reality: the main star of the movie is quickly pushed into the background. However, when Cage is in action, he still gives the heat. The memorable shotgun scene in the finale is vivid proof of that.

The plot mainly focuses on the brothers. Joseph is responsible for fixing things and inventing traps for creepy “catfish”. Thomas is only interested in dating the neighbor Charlotte. Despite the difference of characters and temperaments, the boys in the end still have to unite to save their father. Jayden Martell and Max Jenkins are capable boys who are convincing in their performances. However, when control of the material is fully in their hands, the young talents do get a little lost, just like their on-screen prototypes. All that's left to do is wait for their father to show up in the building.

The post-apocalyptic setting of “Arcadia” looks curious. However, the creators of the movie are not interested in details and paint the surrounding world with broad strokes. The reasons for the apocalypse remain behind the scenes. The origin of the monsters and their main purpose are unknown. How many survivors there are and what life looks like beyond a few farms complete the list of rhetorical questions. In the course of the narrative scattered hints about the prerequisites for the collapse of civilization, but everything somehow boils down to theories. Among the options: the consequences of climate catastrophe, bugs spreading contagion, toxic purple fog. None of the characters can seem to explain what happened to the planet. Ultimately, the interpretation of the events preceding the end of the world falls on the shoulders of the viewer, who apparently has to come up with his or her own version.

The context of what is happening, according to the authors, is not so important. The problem is that the script itself is rather sparse on nuances and details. Nobody asks for a full-fledged dossier on Nicolas Cage's character, but it would be nice to know at least some information about the hero's past. At least who he was before the apocalypse and where his wife is. The only characterization of the character is reduced to the functional role of a caring father who will go to any lengths to save his sons. The prologue not only offers no explanation, but even casts doubt on the very fact that Paul is the boys' father. It is possible that the man simply found the two infants and decided to take custody of them. Why not? The lack of clear answers from the screenwriter is a wide open space for the viewer's imagination.

The genre construction of “Judgment Night in Arcadia” borrows key ideas from “A Quiet Place”, “I Am Legend” and “It Comes at Night”. Comparisons are inevitable: the plot centers on a family, the action unfolds in a post-apocalyptic setting, monsters hunt in the dark. The uniqueness of the project is manifested in the unusual design of monsters. The appearance of nocturnal creatures is eerily inventive. The director of the movie Benjamin Brewer worked in the creative team of the Oscar-winning hit “Everything Everywhere at Once”. His experience in creating visual effects clearly came in handy. Unfortunately, the masterpiece is unlikely to succeed on the memorable monsters alone. Brewer relies on design, but forgets about the importance of the script.

The camerawork and handheld camera shooting are not fully justified. Perhaps the reception is due to the modest budget, but nevertheless such visual execution seems questionable and does not provoke empathy. The shaky visuals in the case of “Arcadia” are annoying rather than creating a dynamic and immersive effect. The movie has no interest in making the person behind the camera a full participant in the story. Another problem is the excessively dark shots. Not only are there gaps in the plot, but also what is happening on the screen has to be figured out.

“Arcadian” does not add anything new to the genre and repeats the familiar tropes of well-known post-apocalyptic horror games. It deserves attention except for the memorable look of the monsters. In the end, the movie doesn't work in any of the directions: it doesn't thrill, it doesn't scare, it doesn't touch. The good thing is that in an hour and a half it doesn't manage to get too boring.

Info Video

Codec: HEVC / H.265 (72.4 Mb/s)
Resolution: Native 4K (2160p)
HDR: HDR10+
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1

Info Audio

#German: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
#English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1

Info Subtitles

English SDH, German, French, Italian, Polish, Portuguese (BR).