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The East (2013)

tomatometer

75

Average Rating: 6.7/10
Reviews Counted: 138
Fresh: 103 | Rotten: 35

Tense, thoughtful, and deftly paced, The East is a political thriller that never loses sight of the human element.

66

Average Rating: 6.9/10
Critic Reviews: 38
Fresh: 25 | Rotten: 13

Tense, thoughtful, and deftly paced, The East is a political thriller that never loses sight of the human element.

audience

70

liked it
Average Rating: 3.6/5
User Ratings: 14,046

My Rating

Movie Info

THE EAST, a suspenseful and provocative espionage thriller from acclaimed writer-director Zal Batmanglij and writer-actress Brit Marling, stars Marling as former FBI agent Sarah Moss. Moss is starting a new career at Hiller Brood, an elite private intelligence firm that ruthlessly protects the interests of its A-list corporate clientele. Handpicked for a plum assignment by the company's head honcho, Sharon (Patricia Clarkson), Sarah goes deep undercover to infiltrate The East, an elusive

PG-13,

Drama, Action & Adventure

Brit Marling, Zal Batmanglij

Sep 17, 2013

$2.3M

Fox Searchlight Pictures - Official Site External Icon

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All Critics (138) | Top Critics (38) | Fresh (103) | Rotten (35) | DVD (1)

Its morally ambiguous investigation of extreme left-wing politics is ... light years away from usual multiplex concerns.

June 25, 2013 Full Review Source: Time Out
Time Out
Top Critic IconTop Critic

The latest collaboration between director Zal Batmanglij and screenwriter Brit Marling suffers from the same problem as their previous picture, Sound of My Voice: It's taut, compelling, unpredictable and completely wipes out in the final few minutes.

June 20, 2013 Full Review Source: Miami Herald
Miami Herald
Top Critic IconTop Critic

"The East" leaves questions unanswered, but at least it asks those questions.

June 14, 2013 Full Review Source: Detroit News
Detroit News
Top Critic IconTop Critic

A fast-rising newcomer to film, the willowy Marling is maturing fast, and encouragingly unwilling to dumb herself down for stock girlfriend roles. This is her strongest work yet and I hope a harbinger of much more to come.

June 13, 2013 Full Review Source: Minneapolis Star Tribune
Minneapolis Star Tribune
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Marling and Batmanglij bring an evenhanded perspective to their portrayals of the characters and issues involved.

June 13, 2013 Full Review Source: Seattle Times
Seattle Times
Top Critic IconTop Critic

A watchably confused eco-thriller that's never sure who its heroes are.

June 13, 2013 Full Review Source: Boston Globe
Boston Globe
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Provocative and exciting, with bigger set pieces and a fierce devotion to character development, this is the sort of smart genre thriller that Hollywood needs more of.

October 5, 2013 Full Review Source: Examiner.com
Examiner.com

Marling's committed performance is offset slightly by Skarsgård's glumness and the 'surprise' casting of Page, who plays the part like Juno grown up (sort of) and turned vengeful communist psychopath.

September 29, 2013 Full Review Source: Rip It Up

Immaculately made with a thought-provoking emphasis on corporate espionage, it's just missing intensity and grit

September 26, 2013 Full Review Source: The Popcorn Junkie
The Popcorn Junkie

If you start off seeing the film's moral world in simple black and white terms - greedy one percent on one side; righteous activists on the other - you'll be left uneasy... but Marling and Batmanglij deliver gripping suspense and challenging ideas.

August 5, 2013 Full Review Source: Movie Talk
Movie Talk

The biggest issue with The East is that Batmanglij and Marling so thoroughly rig the script in the environmentalists' favor.

July 11, 2013 Full Review Source: The Dissolve
The Dissolve

an engaging and almost uncomfortably thought-provoking dramatic thriller about what we -- as individuals and as a society -- value most.

July 10, 2013 Full Review Source: About.com
About.com

...a completely average piece of work that pales in comparison to Sound of My Voice.

July 8, 2013 Full Review Source: Reel Film Reviews
Reel Film Reviews

The story holds our interest because of the big issues at hand rather than the cold-fish characters.

July 5, 2013 Full Review Source: Shadows on the Wall
Shadows on the Wall

It all adds up to an intelligent romp which keeps one eye on timely issues (activists or terrorists?) and the other on entertainment.

July 3, 2013 Full Review Source: Observer [UK]
Observer [UK]

What counts here is the characters' sense of rebellion, their susceptibility to the persuasive actions of others and the bravery of the lead character to try to stop them in their tracks.

July 2, 2013 Full Review Source: Birmingham Mail
Birmingham Mail

Batmanglij and his cast invest the story with enough nuance and feeling to make the thriller that unfurls feel like it matters.

July 1, 2013 Full Review Source: Scotsman

The filmmakers seem to believe the mere fact of their earnestness makes their movie more worthwhile than a more exciting 'escapist' spy thriller.

July 1, 2013 Full Review Source: Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN)
Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN)

The East suffers from a critical identity crisis, squandering an initially intriguing premise to veer awkwardly between intimate character study and formulaic espionage thriller. It satisfies on neither count.

June 28, 2013 Full Review Source: Digital Spy
Digital Spy

Despite a bunch of cold characters and a deeply contrived plot, this film is so infused with hot topicality that we are held in its grip all the way through.

June 28, 2013 Full Review Source: Contactmusic.com
Contactmusic.com

Marling's creative input assures a healthy dosage of philosophical fodder within a solid what's-next plot that keeps us involved and guessing, even when it's implausible.

June 28, 2013 Full Review Source: MLive.com
MLive.com

The love story feels a bit forced, but otherwise it's an intelligent examination of the dangers of both fanaticism and espionage ...

June 28, 2013 Full Review Source: Radio Times
Radio Times

A slick, grungy espionage thriller so in tune with the times it's almost uncanny.

June 28, 2013 Full Review Source: This is London
This is London

Has more to offer than your average US thriller.

June 28, 2013 Full Review Source: Daily Express
Daily Express

A zeitgeist-grabbing indie spy thriller exploring the rise of techno-savvy anti-authoritarian movements lurking in the darkest recesses of the internet.

June 28, 2013 Full Review Source: Little White Lies
Little White Lies

Brit is a hit as the spy who is split in two. Her covert performance twisting and turning from one side to the other keeps us guessing to the end.

June 28, 2013 Full Review Source: UTV

Audience Reviews for The East

The kind of stupid thriller that tries to pass as nuanced but only insults our intelligence with too much exposition and gaps in logic that make any suspension of disbelief impossible. And Brit Marling makes it worse playing a character who can't convince as an undercover agent.
October 4, 2013
blacksheepboy

Super Reviewer

Tries hard, and was almost going to fall flat. Admittedly, my fault that I expected a bit too much from it. But it did sound appealing.
September 23, 2013
imrealgod

Super Reviewer

There are no approved quotes yet for this movie.

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