Eden, 2025.

Directed by Ron Howard.
Starring Sydney Sweeney, Jude Law, Daniel Brühl, Vanessa Kirby, Ana de Armas, Felix Kammerer, Toby Wallace, Jonathan Tittel, Ignacio Gasparini, Richard Roxburgh, Paul Gleeson, Thiago Moraes, Nicholas Denton, Tim Ross, Antonio Alvarez and Benjamín Gorroño.

SYNOPSIS:

Based on a factual account of a group of outsiders who settle on a remote island only to discover their greatest threat isn’t the brutal climate or deadly wildlife, but each other.

Based on true events, esteemed director Ron Howard (fallen on hard times, especially given both the quality of his last film and what it led to…) seems unsure of what tone to take with Eden, a look at a power struggle on Floreana, a Galapagos Island, circa World War I. 

Divided into three groups, they have all escaped civilization for one reason or another, with Dr. Friedrich Ritter (Jude Law) dedicating time to a manifesto for a new, supposedly more sensible and humane brand of social norms. He is also a quack convincing his wife, Dora Strauch (Vanessa Kirby), that this self-imposed exile will also give him the peace and time necessary to focus on curing her multiple sclerosis. His rules for a more respectable society contain everything from vegetarianism to the usual clichéd rambling about pain functioning as a necessary ingredient to growth and happiness.

That quiet isolation is impeded upon, first with the arrival of the Wittmer family, looking to escape the war, poverty, and live freely, growing their garden. Sydney Sweeney slides right into the more traditionally conservative wife role of Margaret, currently pregnant and somewhat docile toward her husband, Heinz (Daniel Bruhl), a man she married not out of love but for a severe lack of experience, and that she was asked to take his hand. That does not mean that this is a boring role for Sydney Sweeney; even if she isn’t entirely convincing regarding looks (there are times that, even in the period piece clothing, she resembles a contemporary woman) and accent, the back half allows her character ample opportunity to show that, while often quiet and passive, her character bears much intelligence and is capable of making risky choices under pressure.

Soon after Dr. Ritter intentionally settles them into a plot of land he deems will make gardening impossible and them want to leave within a few weeks, a spoiled and flirty baroness (Ana de Armas) unexpectedly shows up with a couple of young and handsome sycophants (Jonathan Tittel and All Quiet on the Western Front’s Felix Kammerer) to do everything from make her feel important, cook her canned food, steal some more canned food (somehow, she stupidly assumes what she brought would be enough to last a lifetime, and is too entitled to eat anything homegrown on the island), fornicate, and last but not least, manipulate her way into control over the island as she is looking to build a ritzy hotel solely for the rich.

Dr. Ritter couldn’t give a damn about any of these people, quick to place them into unfortunate circumstances, pitting them against one another. The joke is on him, though, as these people are either more suited for this lifestyle or competent than he or his wife, causing him to start breaking the rules going into his manifesto. Each of them (more so the baroness) knows what buttons to push to bring out his anger and insecurities.

A solid idea for a psychological triple threat match, Ron Howard’s (co-writing alongside Noah Pink) approach to this is a clunky blending of tones that never gels. Anything involving the baroness is played over the top and campy, at odds with the more serious attempts at character study. Ana de Armas isn’t bad here, but she is in another movie entirely, and one that might have worked if that tone was consistent across the board. Giving confidence to this belief is that, once her character exits the story for reasons that won’t be spoiled, the dramatic rift between the other two groups suddenly becomes compelling, with a layer of deadly intrigue and darker impulses. At a little over 2 hours, Eden is also a film that benefits from such a running time, allowing for lengthy sequences dedicated to each group and letting their characters breathe outside the larger picture.

Eden has one last piece of frustration in store once the ending credits start, noting that there are two different perspectives to these factual accounts. How Ron Howard and Noah Pink arrived at the story they have told here is anyone’s guess (presumably trying to find the truth in the middle), but that piece of information suggests a much more narratively creative and ambitious approach to the story. That’s not to guarantee it would have been better, but, aside from the intriguing curiosity of essentially every Hollywood IT actress in one movie playing mental mind games for superiority over an island, this veers between dry and overly wacky, never finding a working middle ground until it’s too late. 

Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★

Robert Kojder

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=embed/playlist

Jack Black, left, and Paul Rudd in a scene from “Anaconda.”
| Photo Credit: Matt Grace

Movie Name : Shambala

Release Date : Dec 25, 2025
123telugu.com Rating : 3/5
Starring : Aadi Sai Kumar, Archana Iyer, Swasika Vijay, Madhunanadan, Ravi Varma, Meesala Laxman,
Shiju Menon, Harsha Vardhan, Shiva Karthik, Shailaja Priya and Others
Director : Ugandhar Muni
Producers : Mahidhar Reddy and Rajasekhar Annabhimoju
Music Director : Sricharan Pakala
Editor :  Shravan Katikaneni

Related Links : Trailer

After a long time Aadi Saikumar came up with a promising film titled “Shambala.” The movie gained buzz among the audiences with its promotional material and it hit the big screens today. Let’s see how it is.

Story:

Set in the 1980s, a meteor hits a small village called Shambhala. After that, some unexpected incidents start happening there. The locals are shattered, believing that the meteor is an evil force bringing them bad luck. To investigate the meteor, a geoscientist and an atheist, Vikram (Aadi Sai Kumar), visits Shambhala.

After his arrival, multiple deaths take place, and the villagers blame Vikram’s disbelief in their traditions as the actual cause. What exactly is happening in Shambhala? Did Vikram find the answers? This forms part of the crux of the story.

Plus Points:

The core point chosen by the director is quite interesting. Among recent films blending science and devotion, Shambhala stands out as a fresh attempt, largely due to its backstory, which has never been explored before. This makes things interesting though the screenplay doesn’t land always.

The backstory is narrated through Dialogue King Sai Kumar’s voiceover, providing us intriguing information. The mystery element is the film’s USP. Starting from Ravi Varma’s peculiar episode, the director makes the audience play a guessing game, with unexpected events unfolding.

Scenes depicting the villagers’ odd behavior keep us intrigued, and these sequences are well-conceived. The second half moves at a brisk pace, featuring a surprising twist and several good moments, making Shambhala a satisfying watch.

Aadi Saikumar delivers a very good performance as Vikram, a staunch atheist. His costumes are well-designed, and he looks suave on screen. He finally gets a promising script that complements his talent. Archana Iyer gets a good role and impresses with her presence. Madhunandhan, Ravi Varma, Lakshman Meesala, Indraneil, and others provide solid support.

Minus Points:

Shambhala takes some time to find its rhythm. The movie starts on an interesting note, but after that, it loses its grip, with the mid-portions of the first half falling flat and the pacing dipping. The emotional connection between Aadi and Madhunandan could have been established better, as the movie’s finale relies on it entirely.

The use of AI for the backstory takes away from the intrigue of the plot, and it would have been better if filmmakers avoided it altogether, as it doesn’t look good on the big screen. Even if the special effects or animation aren’t of high quality, the effort is what audiences notice.

The climax ends on a simple note and needed more impact. The movie has many gore scenes that fit the storyline, though some visuals may be disturbing for a few viewers. At times the movie is slightly predictable.

Technical Aspects:

Sricharan Pakala’s background score is effective, and the sound design is neat. Praveen K Bangarri’s cinematography is good, and Sravan Katikaneni’s editing is satisfactory in the second half. The production values are solid.

As for director Ugandhar Muni, he did a decent job with Shambhala. The core point he chose for the story is impressive. While some portions of the narrative aren’t engaging, the thrilling and mystery moments make the overall experience decent.

Verdict:

On the whole, Shambhala is a watchable mystical thriller with a strong core point. The mystery element, the backstory, and sequences depicting the villagers’ odd behaviour are the film’s highlights. Aadi Saikumar and the rest of the cast deliver good performances. The mid-portions of the first half with pacing issues, a few predictable moments, and the AI visuals are the key drawbacks. Nonetheless, Shambhala is a better outing from Aadi in recent times and it can be given a try if you like mystery thrillers.

123telugu.com Rating: 3/5

Reviewed by 123telugu Team