New to Netflix today is the German sci-fi thriller, Paradise. The movie – directed by Boris Kunz, Tomas Jonsgården and Indre Juskute – stars Kostja Ullmann and Corinna Kirchhoff and tells the story of a world in which people trade years of their life for instant wealth.
In the movie, Aeon is a highly successful science program which is built around the concept of ‘time donation.’ People who sign up with Aeon are able to ‘donate’ years of their life in exchange for generous rewards, which includes vast sums of money that would take a lifetime to earn.
One of Aeon’s top employees is Donation Manager Max Toma. Max is a highly valued member of staff, who previously ‘donated’ a portion of his own life for money, and now lives with his wife Elena in their luxury apartment in Berlin.
But one night, upon returning home from a visit to Elena’s parents, Max and Elena are horrified to see their apartment has gone up in flames. The blaze was caused by an unattended candle, which has destroyed everything they own.
Due to the nature of the fire, which is classed as negligence on their part, they are unable to claim any money back from the insurance company. To make matters worse, the bank now want Max and Elena to pay their mortgage back in full to cover the devastation, which equates to 2.5 million euros.
The only way to raise the cash is for Elena to give up decades of her life in exchange for money – something which the bank is looking to enforce. They soon arrange for Aeon to take Elena to a donation clinic against her will, where she is prepped for the procedure despite Max’s objections.
After the procedure is complete, Elena loses 38 years of her life and ages accordingly. This causes her extreme distress and impacts her relationship with Max.
Keen to get those years back, and undo the damage caused to his wife and his marriage, Max sets out to find a way to reverse what has happened. But will he be able to fight against Aeon, who he once supported as a loyal employee?
With an intriguing premise, strong central performances, and a solid story, Paradise is a great little sci-fi movie. The film taps into the ongoing discourse surrounding a person’s value and wealth, with plenty of commentary about what it means to give up your time on Earth in exchange for money.
In the film, donated years are given to people who pay to become younger. The recipients are those who are considered viable DNA matches with the donor, but in all cases the extra years are only given to the super wealthy.
In the case of Elena, her lost years are given to a billionaire. The film makes it clear the billionaire is able to essentially steal Elena’s life simply because they can afford to do so, and this is of course morally questionable.
And this is the main crux at the heart of Paradise. The question becomes: As life is more important than money, should technology like this exist, where super rich people can extend their own life at the expense of the lives of others?
The answer? Clearly not.
Although this movie is a piece of fiction, it’s not too difficult to see the links between this story and what is currently going on in the real world. Everyday folk are getting poorer and facing worse living conditions that could shorten their life, while the super rich are essentially able to do whatever they please, with their wealth providing them access to a better and potentially longer existence.
The film also taps into the present day reality that big corporations are dabbling into tech that could alter the future in horrifying ways, and it looks at the not-too fictional idea that someone’s life could soon become a tradable commodity. Aging is also discussed in the film, as are refugee camps, and Paradise also includes a resistance group who are using extreme measures to fight against Aeon, because polite conversation and protest no longer works.
Sound familiar? It should.
To put things simply, you don’t have to go too far in this movie to see something which feels relevant to 2023. The world of Paradise is a touch more futuristic than where we are right now, but this whole thing plays out like a cautionary near-future tale, which is built around contemporary news headlines.
In terms of the film’s design aesthetic and overall look, Paradise is a good looking picture. It boasts strong cinematography, a few atmospheric shots, and some slick camera work.
The sets and props incorporate a few subtle hints of futurism, to suggest this story is just a little ahead of where we are now, but not so much out of time to place the story in a far-flung future. The trio of directors helming this movie try to ground this film in as much reality as possible and they achieve this objective very well.
Mix this together with a good cast, as well as good lighting and music, and Paradise is a well-constructed, compelling, and thought provoking picture. There’s something here which really captures the mood of 2023, and adds an even more dystopian slant to the uncertain times we are all living in.
If you’re after a movie with a little more punch than the current crop of popcorn fodder and brainless summer blockbusters on offer, then Paradise could be for you. The film offers up a window into a potential future, which I hope never comes to pass, but could one day be within touching distance.
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Thank you for taking the time to read this review on It’s A Stampede!. For more reviews, check out the recommended reads below.
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