Vivarium is not a ‘date movie’. It’s probably not for those expecting a child. Or couples about to step onto the housing ladder. It’s also a great little film.

Jesse Eisenberg and Imogen Poots are a young couple looking to buy a house who visit a showcase home in a new development and what unfolds is best left for the viewer to discover themselves. Written by Garret Shanley and directed by Lorcan Finnegan, the film could easily fall down under the weight of meaning but manages to keep going by leaning into the uncanny and the artificial. It knows when to drag it’s heels in limbo before turning in a new direction and the central performances are on point with both Eisenberg and Poots accentuating their natural screen personas.

This is a smart movie, despite it’s obviousness, and doesn’t turn away from it’s singular purpose. It’s an deal film to lock yourself in a dark room with.

Highly Recommended.

Vivarium starts at The Mallard Cinema from Friday 26 June and is available to buy on DVD from Vertigo releasing.