Vivarium Trailer: Imogen Poots and Jesse Eisenberg Star in Psychological Horror Film

Vivarium, a concept-driven indie horror film, is an intriguing showcase for stars Imogen Poots and Jesse Eisenberg, taking shape as a sci-fi-themed drama about a couple stuck in a nightmarishly pleasant residence; one that doesn’t seem to exist in the real world and they therefore cannot leave.

Lorcan Finnegan directed the film, following up his 2016 feature debut, Without Name, which was preceded by award-winning shorts such as Foxes, Changes and Defaced. Finnegan worked off a screenplay by Garret Shanley, based off a story he helped develop.

Vivarium Trailer

The Vivarium trailer showcases the dilemma of Gemma (Poots) and Tom (Eisenberg), whose homeowning endeavors lead them toward the misfortune of attending a most fateful house showing. Now stuck – by way of a seemingly supernatural force – in a house and neighborhood that have a disturbing air of artificiality, the couple’s attempt to escape is met with the arrival of a baby literally delivered to their doorstep; one that they’re forced to raise as it grows rapidly. – And we thought vacations tested relationships.

Vivarium Release Date

Vivarium will have a day-and-date release, set for limited theatrical showings and digital on Friday, March 27.

The film was first seen on May 18, 2019 at the Cannes Film Festival. The movie is being distributed in the U.S. by Saban Films.

Further Reading: Making Black Christmas Just in Time for Friday the 13th

Vivarium Details

Stars Imogen Poots and Jesse Eisenberg reunite here from their previous co-starring turn on the 2019 indie drama, director Riley Stearns’s The Art of Self-Defense, in which Eisenberg starred as a mugging victim whose quixotic attempt at self-empowerment through karate lessons takes a dark turn.

Poots co-starred in the recent remake of holiday horror classic Black Christmas, and is also known from films like I Kill Giants, A Long Way Down, Green Room, That Awkward Moment, 28 Weeks Later, and co-starred (minus her London accent,) on the short-lived 2016 Showtime Rock and Roll drama series, Roadies. She’ll next be seen on HBO drama series I Know This Much is True, joining an ensemble featuring names like Mark Ruffalo and Melissa Leo.

Eisenberg, on the other hand, is coming off last year’s horror-comedy sequel, Zombieland: Double Tap, which he fielded after the apparent end of his run in the DC Extended Universe films as iconic supervillain Lex Luthor in 2016’s Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice and, via cameo, in 2017’s Justice League. He was nominated for a Best Lead Actor Oscar back in 2011 for his starring role in David Fincher’s 2010 Mark Zuckerberg biopic drama, The Social Network; an accolade that propelled him to A-list status, notably as the co-star of 2013 ensemble heist flick Now You See Me and its 2016 sequel.

Jonathan Aris (The End of the F***ing World, Sherlock) plays the creepy real estate agent, Martin, who inveigles the couple into their living purgatory.

Joseph Baxter is a contributor for Den of Geek and Syfy Wire. You can find his work here. Follow him on Twitter @josbaxter.