Eden Review: Ron Howard's Star-Studded Drama is an Ambitiously Disappointing Effort

      Note: This review was initially published as part of our 2024 TIFF coverage. Eden hits theaters on August 22.

      On paper, Ron Howard appears to be an unlikely candidate for a project like Eden. The film recounts the bleak story of real-life individuals in the late 1920s who were so disheartened by humanity's condition that escaping to the Galápagos Islands seemed to be the only logical option. This narrative is filled with deceit, murder, dental surgery, one of cinema’s more absurd childbirth scenes, and possibly, for Howard, a first-time portrayal of male frontal nudity. (Though my recollection of Cocoon is quite vague.)

      Nevertheless, Howard deserves recognition for embracing a range of intricate projects alongside his more mainstream works. For each film like The Da Vinci Code or Solo: A Star Wars Story, there is a Frost/Nixon or Rush. (Let’s set Hillbilly Elegy aside for now.) Eden strives to merge these two styles—gritty storytelling with a celebration of the human spirit. For half of its runtime, the film primarily succeeds, but in its second half, it becomes predictable, tedious, and monotonous, rendering it a disappointment.

      Jude Law delivers the film's standout performance as Dr. Friedrich Ritter, who gained international fame for leaving Germany with his partner, Dora Straugh (Vanessa Kirby), to launch a new life on the uninhabited island of Floreana. Ritter aspired to chart a new course for a society he deemed doomed. His letters depicting life on the island became widely popular. Soon, his notion—that Floreana could provide a means of survival—was adopted by Germany’s Wittmers family: WWI veteran Heinz (Daniel Brühl) and his young wife Margaret (Sydney Sweeney), who sought a safer environment for their son, Harry, to recover from tuberculosis.

      Ritter and Straugh are not pleased with the Wittmers’ arrival, though Ritter comes to admire the family's endeavors. The entrance of Eloise Bosquet de Wagner Wehrhorn (Ana de Armas)—who refers to herself as “the Baroness”—along with three male companions disrupts life on the island. De Armas makes a striking introduction, declaring herself “the embodiment of perfection” before being lifted onto the shoulders of her two lovers. This alluring, seemingly affluent woman has ambitions to establish an exclusive hotel on Floreana for the wealthiest clientele.

      The world-building executed by Howard and screenwriter Noah Pink in this initial segment is impressive, as are the performances from Law, Sweeney, Kirby, and de Armas; Brühl leaves a less significant impression until later on. The escalating tension among the characters is also commendable, particularly as the Baroness starts to run low on supplies and Margaret prepares for childbirth. (In both Eden and Immaculate, Sweeney has certainly cornered the market on unsettling birthing scenes.) However, it is after the childbirth sequence that Eden begins to falter.

      Cinematographer Mathias Herndl captures stunning visuals of Floreana’s landscapes and wildlife, making Eden alongside 2022’s Thirteen Lives two of Howard’s most visually appealing works. Coupled with the performances of Law—portraying a character filled with frustration and rage—and de Armas, there are numerous reasons to watch. It’s unfortunate that the film loses its momentum so significantly. The audience should be captivated by how these characters' stories conclude, rather than feeling bored.

      Eden aims to leave viewers with a sense of admiration for the survival abilities of Floreana’s inhabitants. Regrettably, it will be the endless scenes of conflict that remain in memory. This is a script issue that lacks resolution. While Howard’s ambition is commendable, it is not sufficient to ensure cinematic success. Good intentions have their limits—a lesson Friedrich Ritter learned the hard way.

      Eden premiered at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival.