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It was a loaded week packed with new releases in theaters and on streaming. Below is my take on this week’s new movies. You can keep up with everything I’m watching by following me on Letterboxd @knighthawk7734.

Eden (Theaters)
Starring: Jude Law, Vanessa Kirby, Sydney Sweeney, Daniel Bruhl, and Ana de Armas
Synopsis: The world doesn’t always go the way people expect. When things go against expectation, people are forced to adapt, fight for change, or flee. The new film Eden, which opens Friday, is based on a true story of people that opted for the latter option only to discover it wasn’t all they’d hoped. In the aftermath of World War I, as Adolf Hitler and the Nazi party began to rise in Germany, some who lived there were dissatisfied. Instead of fighting for change or adapting to new conditions, Dr. Friedrich Ritter (Law) chose to flee. He and his wife, Dore (Kirby), headed for the small island of Floreana in the Galapagos off Ecuador. There, they lived off the land and sought to carve out a new model for society. Though Ritter and Dore lived in isolation—only receiving a few passing boats on an irregular schedule—his letters that made it back home painted a picture. It made him something of a celebrity and drew others to his cause. Among those who wanted an escape and a chance at a new life were Heinz (Bruhl) and his wife, Margaret (Sweeney), who leave everything behind for a new life on Floreana. When Heinz and Margaret arrive, they are greeted by skepticism from Ritter and Dore, who want to live life alone on their island. Despite the less-than-friendly greeting and brutal conditions, Heinz and Margaret persevere. They build a home, a garden, and find a way to build a water supply. When the Baroness (de Armas) arrives on the island with grand designs on turning it into a tourist destination, she, too, meets with resistance from Ritter. But her presence changes the dynamic on the island, pitting all the inhabitants against each other with competing visions as they try to make the most of limited supplies. The film is set in 1932 and takes place over the course of a year as these three groups fight over resources and philosophies. It’s based on the true story from the survivors, something noted at the outset of the film. So, going into it, you know things aren’t going to turn out well for everyone involved. The film comes from director Ron Howard, who worked on the story with Noah Pink, who crafted the script. It’s based on the memoir from Margaret, who lived her whole life on the island. But it’s focused on this very specific, chaotic, and violent period. Howard is something of a chameleon as a director, adopting a variety of styles of film. That suites him well here, as this is one of the darkest films he’s done. It’s a daring tale of survival at times, but it’s also a dark look at humanity. There is violence, depravity, and a fair bit of nudity and sexual content. All that will likely turn off some viewers, as will the bleakness of the setting and story. While there’s a strong cast here, some of the story elements and characters don’t work well. It makes sense that this is Margaret’s film based on her story because she has the most fleshed out character. Sweeney—inhabiting Margaret—also gives the most fierce and engaging performance. It’s unlike some of her past work, but she was so good here it was one of the high points of the film. Otherwise, this isn’t a fun watch. It’s also kind of long—clocking in at about 130 minutes—which is a run time you feel thanks to the subject matter. It’s not hard to tell where it’s going, but it can be a bit of a chore to get there at points despite strong craft and Sweeney’s engaging performance. Eden won’t be for everyone, but it’s an interesting exploration of a story most won’t know much about.
Rating: Rated R for some strong violence, sexual content, graphic nudity and language.
Verdict: Two and a half stars out of five

Eenie Meanie (Hulu)
Starring: Samara Weaving, Karl Glusman, Steve Zahn, Andy Garcia, and Marshawn Lynch
Synopsis: Edie (Weaving) didn’t have an easy life. When we first meet her in 2007, she’s a 14-year-old getting awoken in the middle of the night to play taxi driver for her drunk parents. As we leave that early glimpse, she’s heading on a high-speed chase to evade the cops, which doesn’t end well. Flash forward 14 years and Edie is trying to turn her life around. After a series of adventures, she has a stable job, she’s going back to school, and she has a dream. But when she discovers she’s pregnant, she visits her ex-boyfriend (Glusman) and ends up getting pulled into his drama. Soon, she’s plunged back into the life she tried to leave behind, forced to lean on those expert driving skills that made her one of the world’s best. But can she get through it all and escape that life for a future with her child? This is an interesting film. Weaving is a brilliant lead, and this film makes some good use of her skills. The driving sequences are also a lot of fun and she has a good back-and-forth with Glusman. The story feels a bit stock in parts, but the twist at the end is heart-breaking. Weaving’s last scene with Garcia is brilliant and the coda is very satisfying. With the great driving sequences, this is a cut above the typical genre film.
Rating: Rated R for violence/bloody images, pervasive language, nudity, some sexual material and brief drug use.
Verdict: Three stars out of five

Honey Don’t! (Theaters)
Starring: Margaret Qualley, Aubrey Plaza, Chris Evans, Charlie Day, and Talia Ryder
Synopsis: This is the second of a planned trilogy of Lesbian B-Movies from Ethan Coen and his wife, Tricia Cooke. This one is set in Bakersfield and follows Honey O’Donahue (Qualley), private investigator who has a lot on her plate. She gets caught up in the death of a woman who was about to hire her. It leads her to a local church where the unconventional pastor (Evans) seems to be at the heart of some big misdeeds. She works with a local detective (Day) to get answers and gets tangled up with a fiery local cop (Plaza) who is more than she seems. This film has plenty of style and the kind of set up that has worked for Coen Brothers movies in the past. We have some slick-talking characters, some crimes and schemes, and some twists as things blow up. All of it portends a good set up. I also quite like Qualley, who was the lead in their last film Drive Away Dolls. She’s even better here in a film that works a little better. But, for me, the elements don’t all quite come together in the end. Some of the threads seem a bit too random by the time we get to the conclusion, and the big twist felt like it came a bit out of nowhere. I like the style and I like the lead, but the film doesn’t come together the way I’d hoped. It’s better than the last outing but doesn’t quite deliver on its promise.
Rating: Rated R for strong sexual content, graphic nudity, some strong violence, and language.
Verdict: Two and a half stars out of five

Relay (Theaters)
Starring: Riz Ahmed, Lily James, and Sam Worthington
Synopsis: It can be hard to fight the power of big corporations, even when they’re in the wrong. They have the money and resources to intimidate potential witnesses into silence or worse. That’s the world into which we’re thrown with Relay, a new thriller that released on Friday. The film comes from David Mackenzie, the director of Hell or High Water. And it drops viewers into another high-stakes tale of greed and violence. The film focuses on Ash (Ahmed), a fixer who works in the shadows. He takes clients who have a problem with a big corporation and brokers a deal, one that ensures their safety and protection. But he does it all anonymously, using the Tri-State Relay system and burners to keep in touch with clients and the corporations that are hunting them. He has a detailed and secure system. It’s one that’s meant to keep him safe, help hold these people accountable, and secure a future for his clients. He operates under a very specific set of rules and he’s willing to walk away if anyone won’t follow the program. Soon, he’s paired with a new client, Sarah (James). She’s being terrorized by another group of fixers led by Dawson (Worthington) because of what she knows. Her former company is about to launch a product with serious side effects. Sarah has the report, which she took to potentially blow the whistle. But now, she just wants the nightmare to end. Ash takes on her case and begins to do his work. But Sarah is different. She begins to work on Ash who feels himself compelled to bend the rules to help her and get close to her. But can he bring a successful resolution to her case before they both get exposed? This is an engrossing and original idea. That’s a credit to the script from Justin Piasecki, who builds some engaging characters and some great twists into the story. Mackenzie brings it to life in an engaging way, too. The tension in the shot sequences—especially in the third act—help keep you hooked to the end. The production is paired well with a great lead in Ahmed. In fact, we don’t even hear him give a line of dialogue for the first chunk of the film. He does a lot to establish his character and build the world through non-verbal performance. He continues this throughout he run of the film, making his character incredibly compelling despite few lines. I also enjoyed the supporting cast. James does a nice job in her role, building the relationship with Ash despite them not even speaking directly. I also liked the team hunting Sarah and Ash, particularly Worthington as the driven and ruthless leader. Relay was a pleasant surprise. It opened at Tribeca a few months ago but was a film I hadn’t heard much about. And yet, I enjoyed the ride quite a bit. Ahmed is good and the story feels compelling. This is worth checking out in theaters when it opens.
Rating: Rated R for language.
Verdict: Three and a half stars out of five

We Strangers (Limited)
Starring: Kirby Howell-Baptiste
Synopsis: The latest from writer/director Anu Valia is a simple story set in Gary, Indiana. It’s where she grew up and it draws on her past. The film follows Ray (Howell-Baptiste), who works as a cleaner for wealthy families. In an effort to boost her profile with a nosy new employer, she shares she has a special skill. That puts her in demand and in focus for the families she works for and her friends. But it all leads toward something darker. This is a quick film, clocking in at just 80 minutes. Howell-Baptiste is quite good, elevating the scenes where she appears. But there are elements of it that just don’t come together. By the time we reach the conclusion, I was left a bit confused and disappointed. It has some promise, but it doesn’t quite come together.
Rating: NA
Verdict: Two stars out of five