Eden (2024) review

Far away from their native Deutschland, Dr. Friedrich Ritter (Jude Law) and his companion Dora (Vanessa Kirby) are living together on Floreana Island (which is a part of the Galápagos Archipelago) - where he's working on his "philosophical treatise" and she's managing her multiple sclerosis - when financially strapped Heinz Wittmer (Daniel Brühl), his second wife Margret (Sydney Sweeney) and their son Harry (Jonathan Tittel) show up to restart their lives ... and then histrionic Baroness Eloise (Ana de Armas) appears with an interest in building a hotel.  Although it's based on a true story - the actual Margret Wittmer wrote a book detailing her personal experiences - and the scenery is nice (it was filmed in Australia), this has director Howard operating in quite unfamiliar territory (he's not Jan Troell): he doesn't really make "intellectual" movies (no offense, of course) and lets De Armas' character take over the movie (because it desperately needed a pulse) with her flamboyant acting and "seductive" persona.  Whatever "point" he's trying to convey with it is somewhat elusive, too: that modern man is ill-equipped to survive in harsh surroundings with wild dogs and boars and limited clean water?  That writing in solitude hinders the creative spirit?  That promiscuous women might be dangerous?  Or maybe Nietzsche was correct about plenty of things?