Arcadian

For a low-budget film, the effects work is minimal but effective. Arcadian keeps the aliens’ origins intentionally ambiguous and is all the more spine-tingling for it.

It has some memorable moments and it has atmosphere. I think it is best before it shows its hand, or indeed, its teeth.

Stop shaking the camera! On its own it does not imply excitement or tension... Beautiful score, though. Top marks for the composers Kristin Gundred and Josh Martin.

Brewer also neglects the mightiest special effects at his disposal, which are Cage’s face, voice and hands.

A lean and competent, albeit generic, thriller, with the added benefit of Nicolas Cage.

Though things go off the rails in the third act, Arcadian’s intriguing premise and inspired monster design pack plenty of scares into this post-apocalyptic fable.

Arcadian’s blend of muted performances, intriguing creature designs, unsettling visuals, and minimal exposition creates a haunting, atmospheric experience.

Though we would have liked to see more of Nicolas Cage in this all too lean, post-apocalyptic thriller, the young actors deliver solid performances and the creature design is truly the stuff of nightmares

If you’re a fan of creature features, Arcadian is worth a watch for the creature design alone. It’s unlike anything I have seen previously and is sure to satisfy.

Arcadian is a perfectly fine post-apocalyptic thriller, but it’s infuriating precisely because there’s so much potential here.