‘Evolution’: A boy’s (and a man’s) worst nightmare

In the mysteriously creepy world of “Evolution,” on a remote island that would have been perfect for Alcatraz Prison, there are no grown men or little girls — only women and pre-adolescent boys.

The inhabitants occupy a few bleak buildings, and the only dish on the menu is a disgusting worm-like stew.

Almost every frame is open to interpretation, a nice way of saying that the narrative sometimes leaves us wanting, even as we fall under the movie’s eerie spell.

Slowly — sometimes too slowly — Nicolas begins to put the depraved puzzle together, though we are forced to fill in some of the missing pieces, often to unsettling effects.

The character development and plot in “Evolution” are minimal, and its bold themes aren’t fully explored, but as an exercise in creepy atmospherics, this is one of the most accomplished films of the year.