Director: Ron Howard
Writer: Noah Pink
Stars: Sydney Sweeney, Ana de Armas, Vanessa Kirby
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.
The thought of living on an isolated island free from any and all standard responsibilities might sound like a dream to some. But also, an absolute nightmare to others upon actually seeing the location. But such is the cost of absolute freedom. To completely rid oneself of any notion of societal standards in favor of something larger could be an exciting prospect, but, like anything else, it comes at a cost. That cost, and whether or not it’s even possible to pay without losing oneself, is at the forefront of legendary filmmaker Ron Howard’s latest film. Eden, which celebrated its world premiere at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival, feels unlike anything the filmmaker has ever made. This film swerves in many directions throughout its runtime. While it has that humanist hope Howard is known for, so much of it is shrouded with a curtain of real darkness. For it dives headfirst into the core of what makes humans tick, and holding up a mirror to the ways in which humans can devolve into savagery makes for not just a compelling watch, but a damning one.
Based on a true story, Eden follows a handful of individuals who find themselves living on an island in the Galapagos after they become disgusted by where society is leading. After World War I, “economic collapse and the rise of fascism” leads Dr. Friedrich Ritter (Jude Law) and his wife, Dora Strauch (Vanessa Kirby) to Floreana island. Ritter has one lofty goal in mind. With his escape from modern and traditional civilization, he aims to discover and expose the true purpose of life. It’s an idea that sounds as if it’s been explored countless times; throughout cinema, but also by countless philosophers. Yet Eden 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. Many would argue it cannot be. I believe this film does.
To be human is to be malleable. It’s a simple fact that must be accepted. When we first meet Ritter and Strauch, they seem a bit jaded. This may simply be due to the nature of their chosen lifestyle. But nevertheless, what’s clear is that they were remaining steadfast in the principles they have defined through Ritter’s manifesto on humanity. Mind you, they are certainly odd in more ways than one. Living on an island with nobody around in any direction can do that to anybody. But that doesn’t mean that introducing neighbors into the mix is the solution to such a problem. In fact, it’s this very development that begins to show what humans do when they feel threatened, challenged, or even just surprised with unexpected company. The Witttmer family; Heinz (Daniel Brühl), Margaret (Sydney Sweeney), and young son, Harry (Jonathan Tittle) show up on the island after being inspired by Ritter’s feats.
They come with good intentions, despite the marital dispute we later discover. Heinz thought it would be good for the family, Margaret simply followed along. If selfish desire brings people to supposed paradise, with no regard to those closest to us, can it really be envisioned as the perfect utopia? Perhaps that is what Eden is trying to say regarding the purpose of life. That we are placed into a set of circumstances by a variety of factors, and in turn, we must do all we can to survive within that situation. Could the purpose of life simply be the pure drive to survive at any and all costs? It’s a rather upsetting truth to confront. Operating in pure survival mode, it seems impossible to ever be content in life. And we see this deeply human inability to be pleased upon the arrival of Baroness Eloise Bosquet de Wagner Wehrhorn (a stand-out Ana de Armas).
It’s upon the arrival of the overbearing Baroness that the true form of Eden begins to really take shape. She is carried onto the beach like royalty, sitting on the shoulders of her two lackeys, who are head-over-heels infatuated with her. They’ll do anything she asks, and it’s not difficult to understand why. De Armas brings a wide-eyed excitement to the performance that masks a worrisome control freak bent on proving she has a name worthy of remembering. You can see how she’d be utterly lost when unable to bend the whims of those around her. But back on the mainland, she never had to worry about such things. It’s only when her power and essential mortal possessions, like food and water, are stripped away from her that we see cracks begin to form. And those cracks very quickly spiral into something far more worrisome. De Armas holds this entire performance together so damn well, producing laughs and angered disgust in equal measure.
So upon the arrival of the Baroness, her men set to work on building the foundation for a new luxury hotel right on the beach. But very quickly, her not-so-neighborly demeanor begins grating against the rest of the inhabitants on Floreana island. What is the purpose of life? Is it to hate thy neighbor? That’s written in jest, of course, but it is comical to see just how quickly Howard and writer Noah Pink’s film can turn neighbors against one another by the simple fact of cohabitation near one another. It’s almost outright proclaiming the age-old idea of one big friendly neighborhood is simply impossible due to the very nature of our most internal selves clashing up against one another. What is the purpose of life? Could it simply be to find peace? That’s a far more comforting idea to hope for. The only problem with that definition lies in another question: what happens when that peace is threatened?
In that threat to peace comes some of the most thrilling sequences of Eden. It’s in these sequences that we see what humans are truly capable of. And it is here, in this human potential, that I believe lies the answer to Ritter’s question regarding the purpose of life. Or at least, what Howard and Pink feel it is. These sequences (which will be written around somewhat vaguely to avoid spoilers); some triumphant and some cold-blooded, show what humans are truly capable of. When pushed to the limit, stripped of all that modern society has to offer; when it is merely humanity and the very essence of the world around us, we reveal our true selves. As humans, we believe we can beat the odds. That we are the exception to the rule. Shocking revelations make way for cathartic truths about the cast of characters we have lived with for some time on this island. It would appear humans are full of abilities both monstrous and animalistic, and it’s not until coming to peace with those mentalities that we can maybe accept how quickly our principles can fall to the wayside.
We see how this purpose to exist in a pure form breeds contempt, jealousy, and greed. As the Baroness representing modern living rears its ugly head to co-opt all the island inhabitants have built, the ugly truth comes to light. The actions of Ritter, Strauch, and at times, the Wittmer family may be damning for the future of humanity. But it’s just a means of survival brought out by the desperate need to fight against an imposed order designed to split society in half: those who have, and those who do not. And those who do have will do all they can to guarantee they remain in such a position. So who are we to blame the others? Perhaps the purpose of life is merely accepting that it’s impossible to do anything aside from look out for oneself and the immediate family we hold dear. Is that a bit of a savage outlook on humanity? Perhaps, but this humanity appears to be all that we have, one way or the other. Maybe the purpose of Eden is all about forcing us to accept that it, and we, are flawed. Yet even still, we fight for it to prove otherwise.
Eden celebrated its world premiere at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival. For more information on the film, head right here.
