Platicsco Good story, Not enough for a whole film

Intcatinfo A Masterpiece!

PiraBit if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.

Gary The movie's not perfect, but it sticks the landing of its message. It was engaging - thrilling at times - and I personally thought it was a great time.

Poptart_Psycho There was controversy over this movie, not for the storyline but for the fact of if its real its claimed to be based on real life events but trying to do research comes up with dead ends. Regardless of this the film was well executed.Jamie Chung plays Jae a young Korean-American in New Mexico in 1994. She obtains a fake ID for a night out with her friend. At the club she meets a handsome man who appears to be in uniform. Feeling safe she leaves with him but within minutes is abducted. Woken up in a warehouse full of beds and separate rooms in what looks to be a well looked after establishment but turns out to be a forced prostitution ring. Lead by a volatile crystal meth addict Vaughn the women are forced to go to bars, clubs and houses to work. A year has passed Jae is now called Eden and has realised the only way to escape is work with them. And of course perseverance pays off Eden is lucky and the final scene captures the movie of a phone call to her mother An underrated film on a very troubled issue in todays society

SnoopyStyle It's June 1994. Hyun Jae Eden (Jamie Chung) works at the family store. She goes to a bar with her friend Abbie and a fake ID. She meets Jesse and gets a ride home from him. She notices that he's a fake fireman but it's too late. She's kidnapped. Federal Marshall Bob Gault (Beau Bridges) kills a Deputy and a local who found a dead girl in a ditch. He runs a rape camp that has many girls imprisoned out in the desert. After a year, Eden starts to befriend the crack smoking lackey Vaughan.It's not realistic enough to be harrowing or compelling. It's not horrific enough to be scary. It's not a thriller. The problem is that it plays more like a B-level horror without any scares. It is simply one ugliness after another. Eden needs to plot an escape and make this more like a prison movie. Jamie Chung tries to maintain a realism to her performance showing flashes of humanity while keeping her facade. It's a functional drama.

eddie_baggins A small budget movie with a big story to tell, Megan Griffith's (no relation to Jordan, as far as we know) Eden is a movie that despite its limitations set forward by its financers is a movie that remains constantly engaging from start to finish even though it never reaches any great emotionally affecting heights that makes you think this story could easily be done once more in a manner that would make the most out of an horrific yet worthy true story.There have not yet been many high profile movies set around the hot topic of sex trafficking/slavery yet there are now many stories out there told by real life participants in what is one of the world's most lucrative and shameful industries. Eden is based on the real life tale (or is it real?) of Chong Kim here portrayed by the capable Jamie Chung who while not instilling Eden with a huge emotional heft, has many fine moments in a role that would of required a lot of her emotionally. While Chung is good as Eden the film finds a real power in its supports from grown up Frailty child actor Matt O'Leary and veteran character actor Beau Bridges.O'Leary as young drug addicted runner of the operation Vaughan and Bridges as Marshall/slavery organiser Bob Gault are both great in some very creepy turns. Vaughan in particular is an on edge and believable participant in this horrific business while Bridges oozes slim as cold and calculating Marshall Gault. With these fine turns by the two male leads it acts as a showcase for just what Eden could have been had it found a way to tap emotionally into what these situations really meant for these poor women and those invested into it financially and while director Griffiths has enough flair behind the camera to suggest she has a career in the industry there needs to be more thought on how to wring the most out of her stories.Eden is a small film worthy of your time, if not only to highlight the oft forgotten world that it depicts in all its unsavoury and harsh elements. With some very fine support turns and with a finely tuned pacing, Eden is a low budget film once more showcasing that budget does not make or break a movie if it has a worthy story to tell even if the film squanders a chance to make the most of its emotionally ripe story.3 stiletto shoe heels out of 5 For more movie reviews and opinions check into - www.jordanandeddie.wordpress.com

KineticSeoul It's just utterly terrible how the underage girls gets kidnapped and forced into prostitution. Like how it's shown in this movie and how it also happens in real life. The kidnappers and the people running the business and is part of it is just downright vile and isn't something you can even call human beings. Even the clients are twisted and have messed up mentality going. But the thing is this movie just isn't heart-wrenching or hits the core as I thought it would. Maybe it's because of the direction and the way the story is told, it just didn't have that emotional impact that hits you in the heart or gut. Like movies such a "Bad Guy" 2001 or "Compliance" 2012 did. Although it's based on the true story about a person name Chong Kim, the direction it takes, loses it's impact and just isn't haunting or anything like that. Like I said it must have been a horrifying experience to go through and get their innocence taken away by these ruthless scums that are portrayed in the movie. But as an audience besides feeling bad for the victims it just didn't have the momentum it needed and just didn't stick. This movie as a whole seemed like it's missing a lot of bits and pieces that needed to be there for it to deliver but it just doesn't. It's a shame a story like Chong Kim is shown through a movie that doesn't capture the emotions because it just seemed to lack many parts. It does give somewhat of a hope in life, and how it can still go on. But when it comes down to it, it's still one of those movies that starts off attention grabbing but falter as it progresses.6/10