In Vitro – Movie Review (4/5)

IN VITRO is a new sci-fi thriller set in a dystopian world. It has just a few characters and a simple plot, but this combination makes for a very strong genre movie. Even the runtime of just under 90 minutes is a plus with this one. Read our full In Vitro movie review here!

IN VITRO is a dystopian sci-fi thriller with a plot that feels entirely organic and almost hyper-realistic. We’re dealing with cloning, which isn’t as foreign or rare a concept as a few decades ago. Maybe that’s why it was so easy to accept whatever was served.

Also, this is a very character-driven story, which means it’s easy to go with the flow and just accept what these characters are living with as their actual lives. The runtime is 90 minutes, and I never felt it was too slow or too long. Do not miss out on this gem!

Continue reading our In Vitro movie review below. Find it in Select Theaters and On Demand from June 27, 2025.

Welcome to Dystopian Sci-Fi in the Outback

For me, any thriller set in the Australian Outback is terrifying in its remote solace. However, In Vitro still managed to increase the uneasiness I would already have felt by adding a dystopian sci-fi plot to this location.

We are in the middle of nowhere, on a farm, where a husband and wife duo are cloning cows as a new method of producing beef. Instead of creating lab-grown meat, they’re cloning entire adult animals in just a few weeks.

It looks like they’re farming fish in this big barn, but really, cows are being “made” in huge pools. Of course, the technology is still fairly new, so it’s not always a success. They are having to put down quite a few animals as soon as they’re made.

As an animal lover, this was very uncomfortable to watch, but it was clear that they did care about their animals. Also, they always tried to avoid any discomfort to the animals.

It’s a very rough way of life, and the marriage isn’t going well either. Jack (Ashley Zukerman from Apple Cider Vinegar) is the strong, silent type who wants to keep his wife safe. Layla (Talia Zucker) is focused on painting their son’s room. He’s currently in boarding school.

So unexpected in all the right ways

Admittedly, In Vitro has elements to the story that you will undoubtedly guess before they’re revealed. However, it’s mostly because they are already teased and foreshadowed, making it possible for you to anticipate what will come next.

Also, while I guessed some elements, I did not guess everything that would happen. How it evolved or what was revealed along the way was largely unexpected. And usually in all the right ways for a solid sci-fi thriller with a deeply dystopian edge.

I found myself completely enthralled with the world presented by the filmmakers. Part of me wanted to escape the doom and gloom of this future cattle farm, while other parts just had to see where it would all end.

Fortunately, In Vitro is one of those movies that has a very solid ending. One that gives the answers you need, and shows us, the audience, some very definitive decisions made by the main protagonist.

Watch In Vitro in Theaters, On Demand or Digital

Tom McKeith and Will Howarth are the co-directors of this amazing sci-fi thriller. The two also worked on the 2015 movie Beast together, though in somewhat different roles.

Will Howarth is also in the movie as Brady, a trucker who comes by to pick up the cattle they sell. Really, he’s the only character the married couple ever sees on their remote farm.

The screenplay also comes from these two, but with the added bonus of star Talia Zucker as the third writer. Talia Zucker, who plays Layla in In Vitro, has already written and directed two short films, so I can imagine she had some very valuable input.

Not least for her own character, even though I will gladly admit some male filmmakers can write amazing female characters as well.

In the director’s statement, it was noted that the vision for this movie was to make it a “moody, atmospheric piece set in a world of secrets and hidden agendas where nothing is as it seems”, and that was certainly accomplished. This one will stay with you for a while!

In Vitro is in Select Theaters and out On Digital & Demand on June 27, 2025.

Details

Directors: Tom McKeith & Will Howarth
Writers: Will Howarth, Talia Zucker, Tom McKeith
Cast: Talia Zucker, Ashley Zukerman, Will Howarth

📺 Watch trailer