An undercover private security agent is sent to try an infiltrate an eco-terrorist group called The East who have been targeting big money corporations whose actions have caused death and destruction. Their philosophy is very much an eye for an eye so their retaliations are hard hitting. However, the agent finds much common ground with the group during her time with them and she subsequently begins to turn to their cause.
The East is a film that asks its audience to question who really the villains are. The eco-terrorists may carry out some extreme actions but aren't they essentially justified given the behaviour of the corporations they target? It's true that at times such as the drinks party where the group secretly feed the executives of the chemical firm the dangerous drug they have put on the market there is a certain justice at work and it's a good angle for a film. In general, there are quite a few interesting points discussed in the movie but unfortunately the message is diluted by the sheer worthiness of the presentation. The group themselves participate in lots of touchy-feely rituals and are practicing freegans (yes, really). The corporate types are one-dimensionally villainous – including one guy who attempts to rape the heroine – it's way too simplistic. If this had been a more straightforward thriller which emphasised action and thrills at the expense of everything else then that would be perfectly okay but The East is clearly a message movie and this means that such details matter more. There is definitely a good film in here somewhere but it needs to be made by someone who isn't hugging onto a tree while eating an apple out of a bin.
The East is a film that asks its audience to question who really the villains are. The eco-terrorists may carry out some extreme actions but aren't they essentially justified given the behaviour of the corporations they target? It's true that at times such as the drinks party where the group secretly feed the executives of the chemical firm the dangerous drug they have put on the market there is a certain justice at work and it's a good angle for a film. In general, there are quite a few interesting points discussed in the movie but unfortunately the message is diluted by the sheer worthiness of the presentation. The group themselves participate in lots of touchy-feely rituals and are practicing freegans (yes, really). The corporate types are one-dimensionally villainous – including one guy who attempts to rape the heroine – it's way too simplistic. If this had been a more straightforward thriller which emphasised action and thrills at the expense of everything else then that would be perfectly okay but The East is clearly a message movie and this means that such details matter more. There is definitely a good film in here somewhere but it needs to be made by someone who isn't hugging onto a tree while eating an apple out of a bin.