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.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Jul 4, 2024

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

| Jun 21, 2024

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.

| Original Score: 2/5 | Jun 17, 2024

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

| Original Score: 2/5 | Jun 13, 2024

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

| Original Score: 3/5 | Jun 13, 2024

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.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Jun 13, 2024

Elevated by some impressive action set pieces, this engaging film benefits greatly from some impressive performances from its young cast.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Jun 3, 2024

[Director Benjamin Brewer] gets to show you his monster-making chops, and it's pretty effective I think.

| Apr 17, 2024

Once the film settles into a fairly standard chase-and-fight movie, its lack of character depth or nuance limits what the filmmakers can do to make this story stand out from all the past projects it echoes.

| Original Score: 45 | Apr 12, 2024

Balanced and solid, with equal measures of terror and suspense, the movie is Arcadian and I’ll be darned if it didn’t scare the daylights out of me.

| Original Score: 3/4 | Apr 12, 2024

A competent director can do only so much with a poor script, and “Arcadian” is littered with shortcuts and screenwriting clichés.

| Apr 11, 2024

Unfortunately, Brewer and screenwriter Mike Nilon ignored an essential rule: Conceiving an original monster isn't nearly as important as coming up with compelling human characters.

| Apr 10, 2024

Even as the shotgun shells start flying, it makes time for the quiet dramatic moments that carry its family drama forward amid the carnage.

| Original Score: 3/4 | Apr 10, 2024

A simple but perfectly serviceable dystopian thriller that’s a little too mysterious for its own good yet still serves up tight suspense and cool, icky monsters once it finally gets going.

| Original Score: 2.5/4 | Apr 10, 2024

Brewer goes for broke and it pays off.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Apr 9, 2024

Every time you think you have its physiognomy figured, some new sinew stretches or fluid erupts, something else to which the boys have to respond. This is, after all, their story, and Cage steps aside so that we can see them grow and flourish.

| Mar 16, 2024

It's the monsters that bring the big, delicious, funky thrills of Arcadian...But it's Cage and his onscreen kids who give the movie stakes and the emotional center that is required for a great monster movie, be it Jaws or Alien.

| Mar 15, 2024

Even as Arcadian struggles to find its footing, it’s capable of landing some knockout moments.

| Mar 14, 2024

The characters’ decision-making and motivations strain credibility, undermining the film’s attempt to portray a realistic struggle for survival.

| Mar 14, 2024

While Arcadian is far from being a new modern horror masterpiece, it makes for a satisfying B-movie romp.

| Mar 13, 2024