Paradise

A clever debut with a great premise and one of the better films from Netflix. Paradise is probably thematically close to In Time, we have a biotech company that can manipulate time, i.e. take and give people ages. The premise is original and it's a bit of a shame that the film doesn't focus on more characters and more issues, because the potential was high. They only focus on two characters who are quite fatally affected. The lead is the likeable Kostja Ullmann, whom we know from My Blind Date with Life, but the rest of the characters didn't interest me. It's a pity that from the second half onwards the film loses pace and the final action is very routine and uninteresting. The music is okay and the visuals are decent too, just the plot filler is not as intense and engaging as the idea itself – I wouldn't against an American remake. I was quite bothered that the organization Adam, which fights against the system in the film, doesn't really show anything decent in the end – there was much more potential there. (06.08.2023)

This is a real success for German Netflix. The film stands out with its conceptual originality and surprisingly good quality of execution. The script brings an innovative idea that, in the context of contemporary commercial society where many strive for quick and easy wealth, feels quite realistic and relevant. Given the current boom in artificial intelligence and the expansion of technical fields, the film raises important questions about possible scenarios for the development of human future. (02.06.2024)