EDEN

TIFF 24 REVIEW BY: DARREN ZAKUS

DATE: SEPTEMBER 19, 2024

RATING: 4.5 out of 5

Eden showcases a darkness in Ron Howard’s storytelling that we have yet to see from the acclaimed director as he strips humanity down to our primal animalistic nature in a survival thriller featuring a stellar ensemble cast at the top of their game, resulting in one of his best narrative films in years.

Ron Howard is no stranger to adapting true stories to the big screen, having done so with countless films in his almost fifty year career as a director. He has taken audiences to the moon in Apollo 13, told the story of mathematician John Nash in A Beautiful Mind, and even placed audiences in the fast lane with Rush as he brought the rivalry of Formula One drivers Niki Lauda and James Hunt to life. All of these films, as with the majority of the films that Howard has directed, have never truly told a dark story that will rock viewers to their core, but that is all about to change with Howard’s latest film. Based on true events as told by its survivors (in conflicting accounts), Eden chronicles a deadly struggle for control and survival amongst European settlers on the small island of Floreana in the Galapagos featuring an all star cast of Jude Law, Vanessa Kirby, Daniel Brühl, Sydney Sweeney and Ana de Armas. The result is not only Howard’s most exciting film since Rush, but one nail-biting theatrical experience that is equally as beautiful as it is sinister that exposes humanity in its most primal nature.

There are some films that you cannot believe are based on real events, and Eden is one of those films. Screenwriter Noah Pink draws from accounts of the survivors of the events of the film and delivers a thrilling, shocking, nerve wracking, edge of your seat experience from start to finish. Set against the beauty of Floreana, Pink and Howard strip our human characters down to their most primal and animalistic tendencies as they fight for survival and control with their fellow settlers, creating rich character arcs for all of our main characters. Manipulation, treachery, and murder are all aspects of this grim story, but Pink and Howard never lose sight of the humans at the centre of the story, delivering an engrossing character driven drama full of unforgettable twists and turns. Spanning a run time of just over two hours, there is never a second of the film that won’t have you holding your breath in fear as you watch the settlors engage in psychological warfare and physical acts of violence, resulting in one enthralling cinematic experience that will leave you at a loss for words by the time the credits roll… as you won’t believe what transpired on Floreana.

As startling and twisted as the story of Eden is, the film would be nothing without its stellar cast. There is no questioning that Pink’s screenplay is good, but it is the sensational performances from the lead cast of Law, Kirby, Brühl, Sweeney and de Armas that makes the film a must see. Law and Brühl are great in their respective roles of Dr. Friedrich Ritter and Heinz Wittmer, each delivering a commanding performance capturing different ends of the human spectrum. Law’s emotionless and calculating turn as Dr. Ritter gives off mad scientist vibes as Dr. Ritter wants to see his research perfected and his tranquility not disturbed even if it comes at the cost of harm to his neighbours, while Brühl’s Heinz is warm and caring trying to provide for and protect his family and driven by desperation to unspeakable actions that are against his nature.

But it is the women of Eden who steal the film. Kirby stuns as Dora Ritter, balancing compassion and an entitlement that makes Dora one dangerous individual as you never truly know what her end goal is as she is unpredictable as a viper. de Armas is flamboyant and over the top as Eloise Bosquet de Wagner Wehrhorn with a theatrical camp that is deliciously entertaining, but when called upon, there is a wickedness that de Armas revels in to create the majority of the story’s conflict. It’s a scene stealing performance from de Armas that is pitch perfect at every turn, once again showcasing her range as an actress. Sweeney continues to amaze as an actress with her performance as Margaret Wittmer, giving a truly tender performance. As the one character who finds herself on Floreana not by her own choice, Sweeney instills Margaret with a kindness and timidness as she tries to make a new home for her family, but also with a steadfast determination to keep the peace and survive that is complemented by Margaret’s high intelligence that is always one step ahead of the other settlors. It’s the most striking of the film’s performances because of the evolution Margaret undergoes over the course of the film, allowing Sweeney to soar at every turn and deliver two of the film’s most unforgettable scenes (one of which is yet another shocking birthing scene that ups the intensity of Sweeney’s similar scene in Immaculate earlier this year).

Matching the dark story that unfolds in Eden is the atmosphere of the film. Shot on location in Australia to double Floreana in the Galapagos, Mathias Herndl’s cinematography captures the stunning natural beauty of the island and what could be the idyllic place to live with ease, utilizing wide shots to capture the full environment of the film’s setting. Though, the colour palette which starts off vibrant as Heinz and Maragaret Wittmer arrive on Floreana, quickly loses its vibrancy and becomes muted in colour to reflect the grim nature of the predicament they find themselves in, visually plunging the audience into the dread and despair faced by the characters. Matching this is a haunting, atmospheric musical score from Hans Zimmer which heightens each scene with an extra layer of tension created by the booming sounds that fill out the film’s soundscape. 

Ron Howard has proven himself one of the most impressive storytellers over the course of his career, but with Eden, he ventures into new territory with his darkest and most sinister film to date. Based on a truly unsettling and shocking series of true events, Noah Pink and Ron Howard explore the desperate struggle for survival and control in Eden, slowly stripping the characters of their human tendencies and letting our animalistic nature take over in one unsettling psychological thriller. With a exciting screenplay that never for a second fails to both entertain and thrill as a shocking true story unravels in front of your eyes, Eden is easily one of Ron Howard’s best narrative films in years thanks to the outstanding cast and notably the spectacular performances of Vanessa Kirby, Ana de Armas and Sydney Sweeney!