Review of The East (2013) by Eric F — 14 Aug 2014

"The East" is a dark, pseudo-political thriller with jarring social commentary, brilliant acting, and one of the best screenplays of 2013. The film was directed by Zal Batmanglij, produced by actresses Brit Marling and Ellen Page, and written by all the three.

It stars Marling in the lead role as Jane, an operative for a private intelligence firm who is tasked with infiltrating a domestic eco-terrorist group, called The East. After a prolonged stay with the group however, Jane begins to question her own morals and values as a human being -- not to mention question her own motives in applying for such a job in the first place. Soon, the members of The East begin breaking apart and the group crumbles, but not before Jane has a chance to inform her employers of everything -- and regret it, even as she does so.

The idea for this story was inspired by a two-month camping trip that director Batmanglij, his brother Rostam, and friends Marling, Page, and filmmaker, Mike Cahill all went on in 2009, during which they experimented with the philosophy of 'freeganism' and searched for groups and people that were like-minded.

"The East" draws a lot of it's strength from it's thematic brilliance and a steady-handed script. It's dialogue is blunt and (at times) shocking, cleverly inviting doubt into the motives of every character and fueling the plot with the complexities of each of their separate moralities and ethical standards. Batmanglij, Page, and Marling make a wonderful team. Their ideas mesh well together and the story they've crafted is filled with stunning realism clearly taught from each of the writers' own personal lives and experiences.

The acting is pitch-perfect, with Alexander Skarsgard in good form as Benji, the leader and organizer of The East; and Brit Marling's and Ellen Page's performances are particularly notable (though both actresses likely benefited largely from writing their own dialogue).

The twisty darkness of this type of suspense-driven thriller has it's roots planted deep in the works of Alfred Hitchcock, Brian DePalma, and Robert Ludlum. "The East" is as thoughtful as it is thought-provoking: birthing both a biased and unbiased glance at real-world issues such as the dumping of toxic chemicals into oceans, seas, and local water supplies, and the dangers of fast-tracked, under-tested pharmaceutical drugs. Whether your a fan of thrillers or not, this reasonably-budgeted indie flick doesn't just deserve the attention of it's audience -- it demands it.