Even in his wildest dreams there's no way Lorcan Finnegan could have possibly imagined a couple of years ago when he was co-writing and then directing 'Vivarium' the truly aberrant state of the world into which his second feature film would eventually be released.
And yet here we are, under a mass quarantine due to a raging coronavirus pandemic with seemingly no end in sight, relegated to streaming the few movies that are trickling out into the world since all film productions are suspended and every movie theater is closed.
Finnegan must be incredibly disappointed-as we all are-that 'Vivarium' wasn't able to enjoy the full theatrical run that it deserves (the film has since been fast-tracked onto all major video on demand services). However, there's a certain serendipity to the timing, with Finnegan crafting a story that is wonderfully bleak, totally unnerving, and incredibly prescient for the times.
For those who are curious, the word "vivarium" refers to a place such as a laboratory where animals or plants are kept under conditions simulating their natural environment so that they can be observed, typically for research.
While Jesse Eisenberg and Imogen Poots represent the proverbial labs rats in this mystery-horror-thriller, it's the impotency of adulthood and cracks in modern society that fall squarely under Finnegan's keen eye and sharp filmmaking. Covid-19 has already dimmed a lot of light in this world. If at all possible, don't let 'Vivarium' be yet another example. Stream it, spread the word, and support the project any way you can.
And yet here we are, under a mass quarantine due to a raging coronavirus pandemic with seemingly no end in sight, relegated to streaming the few movies that are trickling out into the world since all film productions are suspended and every movie theater is closed.
Finnegan must be incredibly disappointed-as we all are-that 'Vivarium' wasn't able to enjoy the full theatrical run that it deserves (the film has since been fast-tracked onto all major video on demand services). However, there's a certain serendipity to the timing, with Finnegan crafting a story that is wonderfully bleak, totally unnerving, and incredibly prescient for the times.
For those who are curious, the word "vivarium" refers to a place such as a laboratory where animals or plants are kept under conditions simulating their natural environment so that they can be observed, typically for research.
While Jesse Eisenberg and Imogen Poots represent the proverbial labs rats in this mystery-horror-thriller, it's the impotency of adulthood and cracks in modern society that fall squarely under Finnegan's keen eye and sharp filmmaking. Covid-19 has already dimmed a lot of light in this world. If at all possible, don't let 'Vivarium' be yet another example. Stream it, spread the word, and support the project any way you can.