Watched this on Netflix not having read review or plot. In a nutshell a young adult dystopian Sci-fi movie reminiscent of Stepford Wives without the intelligence, acting, script or direction.
Paradise Hills
2019
Action / Fantasy / Mystery / Sci-Fi / Thriller
Paradise Hills
2019
Action / Fantasy / Mystery / Sci-Fi / Thriller
Plot summary
In an undetermined future, society has divided into two sub-types: upper-class or "Uppers", and the rest of the world, mid- and lower-class, named "Lowers". Uma is a privileged young woman who is adamantly against marrying another Upper, Son. Instead, she falls in love with a working-class young man named Markus, so she is sent to Paradise Hills, a school for young ladies located on a remote island in the middle of the ocean. Waking up in Paradise not knowing how she arrived there, she soon meets other students: Amarna, a pop-star who was sent after she decided to sing her own songs against the will of the company that controls her records; Chloe, a plus-sized young lady whose parents want turned thin and compliant; and Yu, a Lower whose aunt and uncle sent her there after she refused to inherit the family business. Then Uma meets the eccentric Duchess, Paradise Hills' headmistress, who tries to convince Uma to marry up, like her mother wishes. Uma soon suspects a hidden purpose behind all the facility's luxuries. Its elegant staging and the daily sessions of make-up, hairdressing, etiquette, and therapy are not working on any of her classmates either. While Amarna and Uma concoct a plan to escape, Uma is shocked when Markus appears as part of Paradise Hills' staff. Amarna, who had started feeling attracted to Uma, feels bitter about this. Finally, alerted by Amarna about their dinners being laced with a sleep-inducing substance, Uma manages to investigate Paradise Hills at night and discovers the bone-chilling truth: the island is a giant control room to analyze the students' behavior and appearance so they can be replicated by Lower women hired to replace the Uppers after the original women are killed. With time running against her, Uma and the rest of her girl gang must find a way to survive before they are up next.
Uploaded by: FREEMAN
Director
Tech specs
720p.BLU 1080p.BLU 720p.WEB 1080p.WEBMovie Reviews
Not as clever as it thinks
Poorly Written & Implemented Script
This script was just all over the place w/lots of borrowed from other movies ideas just tossed together in an incoherent messy mishmash. 1. We've got some ballroom scene w/singing on some island in the middle of the ocean (supposedly). Added nothing to the story. 2. Was presented that escape from this island in a small open rowboat in open ocean (no experience/strength in rowing) was possible. 3. You have a vast heavily populated odd group of overseers running the island. Done before in movies. Who paid for it all, who built, who feeds? 4. You have some very poorly & cheaply presented genetic/medical/surgical subplot of surrogate creation. Done before. 5. You have some unknown plant woman capturing some unknown essence of people. Done before. Gawd! 6. Usual romance hook. Poor acting. Jump around editing; lots of plot explanation holes.
You'll enjoy it...until you start to realize the serious shortcomings in the script and characters.
"Paradise Hills" is a visually arresting film with a great basic plot...that, unfortunately, pretty much falls to pieces by the time the story ends. Sad...as the film initially hooked me and it had the potential for greatness.
Uma's family wants her to marry a man she hates. The marriage will save the bankrupt family...and they are essentially willing to sell Uma to save their fortunes. How do they arrange to have her agree to marry this man who she feels is responsible for her father's death? Well, it all begins with Uma awakening on a strange otherworldly island where lots of uncooperative rich girls have been sent ostensibly for reprogramming.
The notion of 'bad girls' being drugged or mind-altered to make them 'nice' really caught my attention and I loved the film....at least for a while. However, towards the end, the story became sloppy and insane. Insane? Yes, the island turns out to be run by some sort of weird creature. Huh?! Was this necessary? No...in fact it was pretty dumb and annoyed me to death. It's a shame, as up until this goofy ending, it was great....and PARTS of the ending were also great. But the monster bit....UGGH!!! It was as if you were watching "Gone With the Wind" and in the end Rhett Butler boarded a UFO and left planet Earth!!
In addition. the amazing sets and costumes, while initially arresting and amazing, simply DON'T make any sense once you learn the fates of the girls on the island. Imagine spending many many millions to make a cool looking island...only to kill them by the end of their stay. Why are these props even necessary?? I especially say this about the bizarro carousel horse...which you simply must see to believe. All style...but no substance.
Now these are NOT the only problems with the film. My daughter watched the movie with me and she really, really hated it. When she explained why, I was also pretty made. After all, the story is about four girls. The bisexual (or perhaps gay) character, the fat girl and the Asian girl were all killed by the end...and only the super-skinny white straight girl survived. What sort of message is this telling kids who see the film?! You'd think they would have avoided these cheap bits of formula...but they didn't.