Eden (2024) Review!!

Synopsis – Follows a group of people fueled by a profound desire for change; in order to turn their back to society they leave everything behind and set their futures on the harsh landscape of the Galapagos.

My Take – If someone can handle a feature based on a true story it has to be acclaimed filmmaker Ron Howard. Over the course of four decades, as a writer, director & producer Ron Howard has well proven his ability to switch between genres and to balance anonymous IP blockbusters, like The Da Vinci Code (2006), with simpler stories, like A Beautiful Mind (2001), Apollo 13 (1995) and Thirteen Lives (2022), which usually celebrated the individual(s) at the center of the subject.

His latest re-telling draws inspiration from the real-life events of a few European settlers who arrived at the remote Floreana Island, in the Galápagos Islands, Ecuador in the 1930s, to set up new lives for themselves. But then circumstances & situations tightly steer them through a frightening descent into hell.

Structured as his riff on ‘Lord of the Flies’, the visually impressive survival thriller swerves in many directions throughout its 129 minutes runtime as it explores themes of human nature, community, and the impact of isolation. And though it is never something groundbreaking, the narrative is shrouded with a curtain of real darkness as it dives headfirst into the core of what makes humans in general tick.

Holding a mirror to the ways in which we can devolve into savagery quickly, making it not just a compelling watch, but a damning entertaining one. While viewers looking for a film that challenges conventions or offers profound insights might find it lacking, it’s worth watching for its performances, particularly that of Ana de Armas, and its captivating setting.

The story mainly follows Dr. Friedrich Ritter (Jude Law) and his partner Dore Strauch (Vanessa Kirby), who flee their native Germany in 1929 and find solitude on the uninhabited island of Floreana. Repudiating the bourgeois values they believe are corroding mankind’s true nature. On the island, Friedrich aims to focus on writing his manifesto, which will start a new way of thinking and living, shunning religion and traditional family values, while Dora resolves to cure her multiple sclerosis through meditation.

However, their hard-won solitude is short lived. Having read about them and their way of living, which has showed up in newspapers and forward-thinking salons in Europe, the two are joined by Margret (Sydney Sweeney), Heinz Wittmer (Daniel Brühl), a German couple who hope that the island might help cure their son Harry (Jonathan Tittel) of his tuberculosis.

It’s a frosty welcome along with a rude awakening of the grim realities of island life but things get even grimmer with the arrival of another party, led by the vivacious and theatrical Baroness Eloise (Ana de Armas). Who along with her engineer Rudolph (Felix Kammerer), a bodyguard/lover Robert (Toby Wallace) and a man servant, has her sights set on building an extravagant hotel on the island.

Between inclement weather, unruly wildlife, and a total lack of amenities, all three groups find life on Floreana difficult. But nothing will test their mettle more than the challenge of coexisting with desperate neighbors capable of theft, deception, and worse.

Written by Noah Pink (Tetris), the narrative begins ominously but quickly devolves into a somewhat campy exploration of human behavior i.e. petty, dangerous, and competitive. Indeed, the idea sounds explored countless times before, yet the film excels in separating itself from merely questioning the notion of what makes humans act the way they do.

It bounces back and forth between absurdly dark humor, genuinely thrilling sequences full of fright and tension, and most importantly, a profound curiosity on whether or not that purpose can truly be defined. Most hilariously, for all that Dr. Friedrich opines about saving humanity, the irony here is that he hates people and becomes the very thing he accuses others of. He is the epitome of pretentiousness, and the film plays out like an adult version of the classic Lord of the Flies story.

Personally, I enjoyed the diverse dynamics intertwine and influence one another, much like they do in the real world. The characters try their hardest to be civil, but it doesn’t work. A dinner party features Eloise singing opera while the others look on in annoyance and discomfort; Margaret tells Eloise they had a lovely time at dinner despite it being a disaster.

These are characters who we love to hate, and they grow disturbingly more awful as the film goes on. It’s exciting to watch, even in the film’s slower moments. Director Howard allows them to get as bonkers and untamed as possible. At its core, the absurdity of the narrative serves as a survival drama that adeptly illustrates how personal ambitions can overshadow mutual benefits, ultimately leading to moral degradation among its inhabitants.

However, while the film is visually impressive and technically sound, it never truly escapes director Howard’s usual territory. It doesn’t challenge conventions or dive into profound thematic explorations. We needed to see the desperation, the wheels turning, the tables turning. Oftentimes the film jumped from plot point to plot point, and while the clues to these beats were given, the preamble to ratchet up the stakes was missing.

But what truly makes the film stand out is the star-studded ensemble. Jude Law brings his natural charisma to the proceedings. Matching his weight equally is Vanessa Kirby is magnetic throughout. Daniel Brühl is a little underused, but carries the film’s emotional waves.

Alongside him, Sydney Sweeney delivering a compelling depiction of her character, a turn which grows stronger as the film progresses. While Toby Wallace, Felix Kammerer and Richard Roxburgh too bring in distinguished performances, it is Ana de Armas who undoubtedly stands out the most. Embodying the cunning and nefarious self with remarkable skill. On the whole, ‘Eden‘ is an unhinged but fun survival thriller anchored by its strong performances and campy approach.