‘Paradise’ is a German sci-fi crime thriller released in 2023 and it was directed by Boris Kunz. The movie showcases a future society that has the ability to transfer time between people. This idea brings about significant moral and social issues regarding the worth of life and the inequality among the rich and the poor.
Synopsis
Max Toma, the protagonist of this picture played by Kostja Ullmann, works for AEON, a biotechnology firm that has managed to engineer life transfer. When Max’s wife, Elena (Marlene Tanczik) is forced to pay an insurance debt of 40 years to tender his life, Max then sets on a quest to recover time… His experiences reveal the sinister aspect of the society where the privileged class is able to purchase life years to bask in at the costs of the impoverished.
Cast & Crew
- Director: Boris Kunz
- Writers: Boris Kunz, Peter Kocyla, Simon Amberger
- Main Cast:
- Kostja Ullmann as Max Toma
- Marlene Tanczik as Elena Toma
- Iris Berben as Sophie Theissen
- Lisa Marie Koroll as Marie
Reception
“Paradise” has received particular resonance from audiences, critics being more divided. On Rotten Tomatoes, it holds the site’s positive rating of 67%. While some reviewers say that the film has fascinating main concept and interesting ideas included into the story, they point out that the picture sometimes uses banal features of this genre
Availability
“Paradise” has been seen on Netflix starting Nov 2024.
Subscribers of Netflix in India can watch the film.
Cultural Significance
Appealing to everyone’s lifestyle, the film “Paradise” raises ethical questions regarding the commercialization of life, which in our world exists as well, for example, when the poor are exploited because of their poverty. The issues of the film are interesting as well, how society has come to a point when time can be bought and sold and what measures and what kinds of systems can be created to achieve longevity as a greater good and what ethics are associated with those systems.
On that note, any fan of speculative fiction who enjoys a good thought exercise around concepts of bioengineering, sociology and where humanity is headed will find the plot of “Paradise” particularly interesting.