This isn’t just a Nicolas Cage movie

On the coming-of-age front, Brewer, working from a script by Michael Nilon, keeps things refreshingly cringe-free. There is a great scene in which Thomas and Charlotte share a first kiss. Her father catches them and angrily sends Charlotte out of the room. When they’re gone, the fear on Thomas’ face morphs into a sly smile. Forget the monsters, forget the angry dad. He’s happy, if only briefly.

The relationship between Thomas and Joseph is similarly well constructed. They’re competitive, and they’re sick of each other, and, like everyone else, they’re constantly on edge. There are horrors in the night, and they inform every aspect of life. The way their lives play out together seems perfectly realistic, given the circumstances.

One more note: At some point in any good horror movie, things need to feel overwhelming, as if there is no escape. There’s some of that here. I don’t want to spoil anything, but the monsters have a mode of travel unlike anything I’ve ever seen in a movie. I laughed out loud, more in appreciation than anything else. Brewer goes for broke and it pays off.

As does most of what’s in “Arcadian.” It’s not trying to make a grand statement about the world, at least not any more than movies like this do (any post-apocalyptic film at least implies things didn’t work out for us). But it is trying to scare you, and it does.

Reach Goodykoontz at bill.goodykoontz@arizonarepublic.com. Facebook: facebook.com/GoodyOnFilm. X: @goodyk. Subscribe to the weekly movies newsletter.