What happens when paradise isn’t what it seems? Ron Howard’s Eden takes us to the late 1920s Galápagos, where a group of dreamers escape Europe in hopes of building a utopian society on the remote island of Floreana. But instead of harmony, they find jealousy, betrayal, and survival instincts tearing their “paradise” apart.
The film is based on astonishing true events: settlers really did attempt to create their own Eden in the Galápagos—and it ended in chaos, power struggles, and even mysterious disappearances. Howard leans into this history to craft a story where the most dangerous threat isn’t the wild, untamed nature surrounding them, but the people themselves.
The Cast That Makes It Spark
- Jude Law plays Dr. Friedrich Ritter, a man chasing philosophy and freedom far from Europe.
- Vanessa Kirby brings depth as Dore Strauch, his partner caught between idealism and harsh reality.
- Daniel Brühl and Sydney Sweeney portray the Wittmers, fellow settlers whose vision of paradise clashes with Ritter’s.
- And then there’s Ana de Armas as the captivating, manipulative “Baroness,” whose arrival upends everything in sight.
The performances push Eden from a survival story into a psychological showdown, especially Sweeney’s vulnerable yet fierce turn and de Armas’s disruptive charisma.
When You Can See It
After premiering at TIFF in 2024, Eden officially hits U.S. theaters on August 22, 2025 through Vertical Entertainment.