TIFF Review: Eden

Come for the all-star cast.

Stay for the aforementioned cast and Ron Howard’s riff on Lord of the Flies.

If most of the cast weren’t already bonafide stars, Eden is the type of movie that would make them the next big thing. Ask around who the standout is, and you’ll likely get answers for each core piece of the story. 

Set just after World War I, Eden attempts to tell the most complete story of a group of travelers who journey to a Galapagos Island in an attempt to build a more perfect society in light of the unrest from the Great War. With only a handful of people that survived to tell the story, perspectives are limited, but Howard and writer Noah Pink (who recently wrote another true story Tetris) do a novel job at creating compelling relationships and power struggle among such a vast cast.

As the story’s messiah figure — a narcissistic, elitist philosopher wannabe — Jude Law brings his natural charisma but also some new physicality that puts anyone else in the shade when needed (and yes, he goes full frontal if you didn’t hear already.) 

One of the only characters to match his weight is his wife played by a confident Vanessa Kirby, both submitting to and humiliating Law’s character. Ana de Armas plays the part of a baroness that puts her charm around the weaker-willed, but has a paper-thin persona most characters see through or just tolerate, as she attempts to overthrow Law’s top seat. Lastly, Daniel Bruhl and Sydney Sweeney are an unlikely married pair, carrying most of the story’s emotional waves. 

While they’re all great on their own or with one other character to riff with, there is one standout dinner scene that tops them all, with most of the work being done in silence. It perfectly encapsulates how the strength of the cast is the reason to buy a ticket once Eden receives distribution.

All of that on-screen talent is so effectively wrangled by Howard’s direction. He has said this is a story he’s wanted to tell for decades now, and it feels like he truly meditated on all of the dynamics and cultural connotations to keep 20th century story feel fresh and it all looks exquisite.

For a movie that is largely about the destruction of society and people left with unchecked power, it’s a hell of a ride that also never takes itself too seriously. It may take place nearly 100 years ago but it feels like something you could see being chronicled on TikTok today- a timeless story.