The East (2013)
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.
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.
liked it
Average Rating: 3.6/5
User Ratings: 14,046
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
Watch It Now
ADVERTISEMENT
The East Trailer & Photos
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.
Top CriticThe 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.
"The East" leaves questions unanswered, but at least it asks those questions.
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.
Marling and Batmanglij bring an evenhanded perspective to their portrayals of the characters and issues involved.
A watchably confused eco-thriller that's never sure who its heroes are.
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.
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.
Immaculately made with a thought-provoking emphasis on corporate espionage, it's just missing intensity and grit
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.
The biggest issue with The East is that Batmanglij and Marling so thoroughly rig the script in the environmentalists' favor.
an engaging and almost uncomfortably thought-provoking dramatic thriller about what we -- as individuals and as a society -- value most.
...a completely average piece of work that pales in comparison to Sound of My Voice.
The story holds our interest because of the big issues at hand rather than the cold-fish characters.
It all adds up to an intelligent romp which keeps one eye on timely issues (activists or terrorists?) and the other on entertainment.
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.
Batmanglij and his cast invest the story with enough nuance and feeling to make the thriller that unfurls feel like it matters.
The filmmakers seem to believe the mere fact of their earnestness makes their movie more worthwhile than a more exciting 'escapist' spy thriller.
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.
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.
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.
The love story feels a bit forced, but otherwise it's an intelligent examination of the dangers of both fanaticism and espionage ...
A slick, grungy espionage thriller so in tune with the times it's almost uncanny.
Has more to offer than your average US thriller.
A zeitgeist-grabbing indie spy thriller exploring the rise of techno-savvy anti-authoritarian movements lurking in the darkest recesses of the internet.
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.
Audience Reviews for The East
Super Reviewer
Super Reviewer
Discussion Forum
| Topic | Last Post | Replies |
|---|---|---|
| Is It a Film or A debate... | 3 days ago | 1 |
| Is It a Film or A debate... | 22 days ago | 0 |
What's Hot On RT
New Desolation of Smaug trailer!
Naomi Watts is Princess Di
Gravity sets new record
Trailer for a squirrely heist flick
See what's on TV tonight
Latest News on The East
September 2, 2013:
Digital Multiplex: Iron Man 3, The Bling Ring, and MoreThis week in streaming video, we've got the third installment of a popular Marvel franchise, Sofia...
May 31, 2013:
Critics Consensus: After Earth is Lost in SpaceThis week at the movies, we've got a father and son on an interplanetary mission (After Earth,...
Fresh Links
Featured
Halloween Movies For Wimps
Scary movies too scary for you? Here are some alternatives for October 31st.
10 Best Superhero TV Shows
HitFix combs through TV history to compile a superpowered list.
Ridiculous Movie Mistakes
RollingStone proves even the best movies miss a details here and there.
Deadly Movie Kids
Moviefone lists 11 Movie Kids Who Could Kick Our Asses.
50 States, 50 Movies
For July 4th, TimeOut has compiled 50 state-specific movie choices.
Promos
Follow RT on Twitter!
Spice up your feed with hourly Tomatometer updates!
Featured on RT
- NYFF: Joaquin Phoenix and James Gray talk The Immigrant 0
- Box Office Guru Wrapup: Gravity Stuns with Record $55M Launch 27
- Primetime Preview: Witches of East End, Once Upon a Time and More 1
- Weekly Ketchup: Disney Plans Live Action Cruella de Vil Movie 34
- Primetime Preview: Last Man Standing, The Neighbors and More 5
- Critics Consensus: Gravity is Certified Fresh 68
- Parental Guidance: Gravity and Parkland 2
Top Headlines
