[PARADISE Netflix Review] Similar to in Time, but emphasizing sins from technology. (No Spoilers)

PARADISE The original German Netflix movie is about a future world where humans can buy and sell their life time, leading to the emergence of various new and problematic situations.

PARADISE Netflix Review (No Spoilers)

Many people might have watched and remembered “In Time,” the popular 2011 movie, with its concept of buying, transferring, and trading life time. This movie seems to recycle a similar concept but replaces the sale of life time with a more limited biotechnology. In this scenario, finding compatible individuals becomes much harder, leading to the emergence of time buyers, a new profession working for the giant company AEON, which invented this technology. The goal is to extend the lives of the world’s leading scientists so they can continuously come up with new ideas. This idea seems perfect Until the main protagonist’s loved one, his wife, is forced to sell 40 years of her life, turning the story into a mission to reclaim that lost time.

German filmmakers often tend to create intricate plots, and this movie seems to give off a similar vibe. At first glance, it might appear to be a hybrid of the sci-fi thriller genre, like “In Time.” However, in reality, the story is much more complex, blending various genres together. It starts as a drama with sci-fi elements, then transitions into action, and concludes with themes of love and multiple plot twists (having 3-4 significant turning points). The main concept of the film revolves around the phrase “Gravity of Sin,” which serves as the key theme and goes beyond a typical sci-fi setting. The movie repeatedly emphasizes the consequences of each character’s sinful actions, all stemming from their initial decision to purchase life time. Instead of enjoying an extended life like in “Paradise,” the film focuses on the characters’ ongoing struggles, spreading misery caused by the technology. This contrasting idea of “hell” arising from the pursuit of life extension adds depth to the film and elevates it beyond just a streaming level, making it suitable for theatrical release as well.

However, those who come in expecting a full-fledged sci-fi like “In Time” might be disappointed because this movie is a streaming production that may not have a huge budget but still manages to achieve a certain level. In the film, the future is not far-fetched. The story almost lacks any new and impressive technologies to showcase, aside from some new-looking tablets and futuristic office buildings achieved with CGI. As for the concept of transferring time, it’s barely visible. The movie uses gradual scene cuts to show cells aging over time, with no immediate changes. the film employs various actors for the same role as well. which may sound simple when described, but in the movie, this technique becomes a crucial plot device. The writer cannot spoil the movie by revealing more about it.

The real downside of the story lies at the end, where the decision of the protagonist feels oddly out of sync with her emotions. Although the film slowly builds up events to show cause and effect for every action quite well, this time it doesn’t seem very reasonable. However, I understand that it’s possible, and it just serves as a conclusion to twist the narrative rather than following the presented path throughout.

Overall, this is a sci-fi movie that fully embraces drama and sin, keeping viewers engaged until the end. Even though there may be fewer spectacular sci-fi elements, it is still worth following.

 

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