Eden

Eden is a film with some great assets. It has plentiful depictions of the 1990s house music and clubbing scene in a way that feels more realistic than the typical film might handle. It also undoubtedly has an excellent soundtrack and has managed to even license Daft Punk's music which could not have been an easy feat for the filmmakers.

Its main problem is that these captivating backgrounds never have anything too exciting happening in their foregrounds. The dominant plot is one of a man who sacrifices much financial and personal development in exchange for attempting to live out his dream as a DJ, and while on paper this conflict sounds great its execution was handled dully. Subpar dialogue writing and acting, in particular with the lead character, mars the movie and fails to pull us in. Few if any of the scenes in between the clubbing make us feel emotionally invested into what is happening. While not all films need a conspicuous crescendo, the lack of one in Eden also further adds to its tedious foreground which after the final scene leaves us with an impression of having watched an empty drama.