So often across cinematic history has it been proven that fact is stranger than fiction, and in the case of Ron Howard‘s Eden, the crazier humanity proves themselves to be, the more seeped in reality their stories are.
And it’s what makes Eden – arguably Howard’s most exciting project in over a decade – all the more disturbing and fascinating, that what unfolds on screen depicts the actions of what humans are capable of. Offsetting the film’s island paradise locale and aesthetically pleasing ensemble with a grotesque nature to both, Howard is clearly conscious of the fact that no matter how perfect something – or someone – looks, a darkness so often can linger underneath, and Eden, in spite of its namesake, drives this home with a psychologically torturous mentality.
Set in 1929 in the devastating aftermath of World War I, Dr. Friedrich Ritter (Jude Law) and his wife, Dora Strauch (Vanessa Kirby), flee their native Germany in a bid to reject the materialistic nature they believe is corroding the potential of mankind. Setting up their minimalistic lifestyle in the Galápagos archipelago, Friedrich plans to utilise his isolation by writing his manifesto – one that he sees as being a starting point for mankind’s survival – whilst Dora resolves to cure her multiple sclerosis through meditation.
Though their intent is to live out the rest of their days free from the prying eyes and opinions of the now-outside world, Friedrich has penned a series of letters about his newfound existence that have made their way to a variety of national newspapers thanks to passing ships. Friedrich and Dora’s lifestyle, as well as the island’s very existence, starts to gain a fanbase, and it isn’t long before their solitude is disrupted.
First arrives Heinz and Margaret Wittmer (Daniel Brühl and Sydney Sweeney). The growing financial strain of surviving in Germany, the political turmoil of their city, and their son’s tuberculosis all play a part in their intended plan to start anew on the island. Whilst they arrive with the purest of intentions, Friedrich and Dora don’t take kindly to their presence, believing this family is something of a threat; no longer will their island paradise be solitary and, amongst other things, their resources will have to be divided. Taking a more subtle, psychological approach to the situation, Friedrich – after expressing his dominance by greeting the Wittmers totally nude (so, yes, there is a gander at Jude’s law, so to speak) – suggests the family set up camp near a selection of caves, knowing all too well that the water shortage there will hinder their ability to grow crops. The Wittmers prove more resourceful than expected and, to much surprise, they carve out something of a life there, taming nature in the process in manners Friedrich had never envisioned.
The island’s final arrival is where the established power dynamic is truly shifted however. Swanning about with the type of materialistic mentality that both the Ritters and the Wittmers have rejected, Eloise Bosquet de Wagner Wehrhorn (Ana de Armas, undoubtedly the film’s greatest asset), a self-described Baroness and “the embodiment of perfection”, announces she in fact owns considerable acreage there and with her “Hotel Paradiso” intends to build an expansive resort, turning the idyllic peninsula into a tourist hotspot. Already expressing her cunning nature by shifting her attention between the two gentleman that assist her (Toby Wallace and Felix Kammerer), Eloise quickly starts to play Friedrich and Heinz against each other, leading the island into chaos and forcing a sense of jealousy and greed to emerge.
Whilst Eden does submit to its narrative darkness across its 129 minutes, Noah Pink‘s script continually maintains an entertaining sense of self, with much of the film owing its engrossment to that of de Armas. A role that showcases the greatest range for the actress yet, de Armas easily balances her character’s camp-like nature with a sinister underbelly, and she proves the perfect equilibrium against Sweeney’s more grounded turn and Kirby’s steely resolve. Brühl and Law are equally as good, both embodying their characters with a sense of theatrical authenticity, but Eden belongs to its female players, and if the collective voters had the right sense they’d be unanimous in voting de Armas as a supporting actress frontrunner come award season.
Much like how he created an engaging slice of cinema from the true story of the Tham Luang cave rescue with 2022’s Thirteen Lives, Howard similarly takes hold of this story’s rooted-in-certitude base and arranges it to both see fit as a provocative piece of work and a true story worth uncovering.
FOUR STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
Eden screened as part of this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, which ran between September 5th and 15th, 2024. For more information about the festival, head to the official site here.
