In his book-length defense of authoritarianism, Leviathan, English philosopher Thomas Hobbes wrote that, in the absence of an overarching political authority, life would be “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.” Of course, no one in Eden is in the state of nature (a real ‘state of nature’ had no canned goods, mail, or newspapers from home), but the film, based on a true story, is about as true an approximation as possible. Ron Howard’s latest is an intriguing story of isolated families in a fledgling, somewhat hostile land, marked by stellar performances and building towards a fateful conclusion. There are some issues with pacing, but overall Eden is a strong outing from Ron Howard and co.

In Eden, Dr. Friedrich Ritter (Jude Law) and his wife Dora Strauch (Vanessa Kirby) made waves throughout Europe when they left Germany to settle in the isle of Floreana (in Ecuador’s Galapagos Islands) at the end of the 1920s. Dr. Ritter intends to complete his philosophical masterwork, while Dora hopes that natural living outside the vestiges of civilization might alleviate her multiple schlerosis. They’re annoyed to discover the arrival of new neighbors, the Wittmers: Heinz (Daniel Brühl), his young wife Margret (Sydney Sweeney), and his son Harry (Jonathan Tittel). They’re even more annoyed with the arrival of the Baroness Eloise Bosquet de Wagner Wehrhorn (Ana de Armas), her grandiose plans to build a resort on the island, and her pair of lovers.

Strong Performances Ground Tension In ‘Eden’

Eden boasts a talented cast portraying the isolated new residents of Floreana. Jude Law is genuinely great as Dr. Friedrich Ritter: obsessive, philosophical but a tad unhinged, and antisocial. He shares strong chemistry with Vanessa Kirby, whose complex performance alters in interesting ways as Dora’s health declines. Sydney Sweeney capably translates Margret’s journey from timid, isolated housewife to manipulative champion of the home (though her accent isn’t entirely consistent, or necessarily placeable). Ana de Armas gives one of her best performances yet as the stunning, cunning Baroness, weaponizing her ambiguous beginnings and sexuality to manipulate anyone she can for her personal benefit.

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Where Eden shines brightest is in the complex, mutually assured destruction of the film’s plotting. Each of these three collectives in this isolated land have wildly different interests, plans, and capabilities, and there’s an ever-shifting set of alliances and animosities that build towards a fateful series of conclusions. Noah Pink’s script weaves these growing slights and tensions well overall, and they provide many standout moments for the talented cast.

Ron Howard is a skillful translator of unique historical stories to the screen, and he creates an immersive vision of Eden gone wrong, with the physical landscape portrayed as promising but isolating, beautiful but hostile. There is room for a greater sense of the physical space of the island (the film spends significant time in close proximity in the same set of abodes, and could use a wider or different vista from time to time), but overall the landscape is well used.

Ron Howard’s Trip To ‘Eden’ Is A Hellish Good Time

In its thorough reconstruction of the fate that befell these isolated travelers, Eden does at times get too mired in details. It slows down the pace, and by the time events are at their most dangerous and consequential, the tension could be heightened. Though there’s rising situational tension, there’s little accompanying sense of dread. Some of this pertains to pacing issues, even down to the level of individual scenes needing a little more time while others need less. It’s also worth noting that there’s a little too much repetition in the portrayal of these rising slights, particularly with regard to the Baroness, but it’s a slight quibble in an otherwise engaging story.

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Altogether, Eden capably traces the perils of a real-life historical curiosity, the harrowing population of a difficult landscape by small communities of little mutual trust. The performances are generally solid, with Law, Kirby, and de Armas in particular providing exceptional work. There are a few issues with pacing that lessen the tension of the otherwise successful ending, but Eden is altogether a novel historical outing from director Ron Howard that finds ample conflict in an odd land. You may never want to travel into the middle of nowhere again.

Eden hits theaters August 22, 2025.

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