Paradise

I see there are a lot of mixed reviews for this German sci-fi, from people that didn't get it to people that found it clever. Count me in the people that enjoyed this movie, and so did my wife. I thought the plot was interesting, certainly food for thought. The only thing that could have been a bit better was the acting from certain actors but overall it was all pretty decent. I didn't think the plot was complicated at all so I don't get what others didn't understand about the story. The lesson of the movie is don't do to others what you don't want others do to you. If everybody would think about that a bit more, life on earth would be so much better.

This is a German Sci-Fi film based around the premise that scientists have determined a way to not just extend your life, but buy back your youth. The catch is that your time is coming directly from someone who is DNA compatible with you (I.e. Relatives make a good match and certain ethnic backgrounds are underrepresented). The company who has developed this technology is run like a massive biotech that has Apple like meetings where awards like salesperson of the year are awarded...but the real reason people attend is to hear the CEO speak, a Olivia Theissen. The recipient of the best salesperson award is Max, who we follow throughout the film.

In essence the film is almost a de-evolution of Max's beliefs. In the beginning he is very pro-company and really believes in what they are doing in the most altruistic sense, which is part of what makes him a great salesperson...visiting refugees in a refugee camp and convincing young refugees to donate just 5-10 years for the money to help their entire families immigrate. When his doctor wife is forced to give up 40 years after their home is burnt down...he starts to see things from a different perspective. Meanwhile there is an activist group who believes so strongly against this company and it's practices that they are willing to commit violent crimes like murder.

Interesting from a psychological perspective, I enjoyed this German Sci-fi film...not as much as I enjoyed the Dark series, but I did enjoy it. I think sci-fi fans will think it is a worthy watch, so it gets my recommendation.

My review is based on watching it in it's original German language with English subtitles.

I really wasn't expecting something quite as good based on the putrid 6.3/10 rating on IMDb. The production, acting, premise, are all really good. The sci-fi story is very interesting though pretty linear and mostly predictable. With that said I was fully captivated throughout the entire movie and I'm one that gets antsy easily. I haven't seen any of the actors before but they all played their parts very well and were fully convincing in their parts. I would definitely watch a part 2 of this movie if one is made. The only reason I think this movie didn't get a higher review is the subtitles and the fact that it doesn't have a single A-list actor from Hollywood.

I loved the issues brought up and how it used a Sci-fi concept to highlight them, and it had some lovely details; but I think it had a bit of a slow build up. Like I feel the pacing of the film would have made an excellent TV series.

I do feel like the concept and the things brought up were very interesting. I also felt there were a lot of side characters who seemed like they had a very interesting stories to tell that were barely touched on.

It was overall interesting, and enjoyable it just had more to give. And I think the film suffered a tiny bit because of that. It was clearly a very well thought out concept.

This Netflix movie is a sham, a deceptive package. It pretends to be an interesting socio-critical study of the future in the science fiction genre, however it touches this subject in the first 15 minutes of the movie, then forgets about it. After that it frays into a dull thriller plot, which is poorly executed and rather boring.

The movie is superficial and never ever takes his intended theme seriously, it only exploits it, if even. Basically, it's about a future in which rich people buy the lifetime of poor people (sounds familiar? Justin Timberlake sends his regards "In Time"). Sadly enough, this interesting premise is quickly dropped completely. After all, you could be stepping on the toes of the Netflix shareholders, and you don't want to do that, right? Or even other californian tech-enterpreneurs, who are famous for financing startups that plan to extend human lifespan at an extreme costs (only accessible for the richest of the rich, of course), and are probably friends with Hastings & Co.

No, the rich and the famous time buyers are left untouched. Instead, the film leads into a really dull kidnapping story resulting in a chase, first over land, then over sea, then over land again, finally ending in a dark cold hotel somewhere deep in the Lithuanian forest, where the protagonists then mumble those typical German moral dialogues into their sad faces.

In the final act, the writers finally seem to have run out of ideas: there is a completely pointless shoot-out (action scenes for the trailer, as ordered by Netflix). This is followed by one or two plot twists from your standard guide for beginners in screenwriting, as can be found in your next Walmart store. Twists that have zero coherence with the characters.

The characters follow the plot, not the other way round; they are mere compliant slaves of the plot. How the makers of this mediocre work could actually believe that modern viewers would go along this kind of infantil mockery is a mystery to me.

To sum it up: does anyone remember those DVD/VHS covers of cheap B-Pictures from the 90s, with those funny collages of fiery explosions, muscular heroes with big guns and sexy long-legged girls in high heels? And then you watched the movie, and it was just low-budget garbage of guys with mustaches, fighting each other in stone pits or in the desert, C-grade actors running around to cheap music, with a plot that didn't make any sense? That's "paradise", just with a budget of 10 Million Dollars. A hollow package with a sugar coating.

Soulless entertainment for the low-income masses who can't afford a cinema ticket.

But hey Netflix, wake up: even they will be annoyed and feel ripped off, even they won't recommend their friends to buy a Netflix subscription after this. After all, you stole their lifetime! And they ain't getting it back, unlike the skinny woman in the movie.

When you bought that B-Picture VHS cassette seduced by the cover, your money was gone, the producers had it, said thank you and bought another red or black Chevy Corvette with it, to go for a ride with their pimp friends. That scam worked.

With the subscription system, it won't go down like that. Nobody ain't gonna subscribe nothing 'cos of some fake covers.