“Wanna play Crack The Apocalypse?”

Story: 15 years after a global apocalypse, dad Paul, his sons Joseph and Thomas, and the bestest doggo Rocco, are simply trying to survive. But what happens when dad gets hurt, and the rebellious boys have to step up? Well…

Scares: Great “who goes there” creepiness
Splat Factor: Blood and guts. Plus a dissection scene. So, yeah.

Subgenre: Post-apocalyptic Monster Drama
Year Released: 2024
Remake, Sequel or OG (Original Ghoul)?:Original

Trick or Treat?: Nic Cage, baybeeeee! This film is genuinely chilling, and a great one for a night where you want to be afraid of every creak and groan in your house. Arcadian is a quiet horror that centers around the bonds between brothers, sons, fathers, and family. Y’know, with the ever present threat of gruesome death around every corner.

The introduction of this apocalypse shows us Nic Cage’s Paul as he desperately tries to reach is infant sons at the start of the apocalypse. It’s confusing and scary, as distant chaos surrounds him. We never get to see exactly what’s actually happening, we only hear it, and see smoking wreckage in the distance. It’s definitely one of those moments where your own brain comes up with a scenario more chilling than the film could show you. But don’t worry, you’ll get to see the cause of this destruction soon enough.

The film then cuts to “present day” – fifteen years after the events of the opening scene – with the boys firmly in their teen years, and more than a little sick of being hidden away by their protective dad. Ah, the privilege of having a safe place to hide live in the post-apocalypse. Not everything is a-okay though; every night there are shrieks, growls, and claws itching to make their way into their home. Their safety is tenuous, and Arcadian never lets you forget that, even when the boys desperately try to.

Joseph, whose mind reels with inventions and curiosity about the outside world, longs to create things that could help them, but finding what he needs lands him in danger. Meanwhile at the Rose farm – a group who are our guy’s nearest neighbors – Thomas crushes on daughter Charlotte Rose. Joseph and Thomas constantly push Paul’s boundaries, especially when it comes to getting home on time. Which is definitely important, but soon becomes only one issue they need to deal with in order to survive.

Little touches with hair, makeup, and costuming really sell the story here. Thomas’s choppy haircut, as if he does it himself without a mirror. The mishmash of clothing pieces that seem cobbled together from what they could scrounge. Cage’s Paul becoming sickly and pale as he tries to heal from grievous wounds. Excellent use of shadows and backgrounds, thanks to cinematographer Frank Mobilio. And damn if I don’t love how writer Michael Nilon adds a brief Island of Doctor Moreau homage with Cage’s Paul saying “Are we not men?” Damn if that didn’t make my cinema nerd heart go pitter-pat.

The creatures here are fantastic, literally and figuratively. The way they move in packs like a giant wheel of doom, their individual design, and their is refreshingly unique. The realistic, effective blood and gore FX is on par with the rest of the film’s brutally honest depiction of life after the end of our world. Most of the interactions with the creatures are in darkness, so the FX hint and tease for quite a while before things get in-your-face. In one scene, that’s quite literally what happens with Joseph, and it’s terrifying. (Kudos to the sound department for helping to create a truly eerie scene.)

A great story to sink into with a tub of popcorn, a single candle for light, and your coziest binkie. Friends are welcome, but this is a great one to watch all by your lonesome. Pleasant dreams.

[Oh, and goodest boi Rocco survives. In case I’m not the only one who needs to know that kinda thing before a watch.]

Score: 3.5 out of 5 pumpkins.