Picture: Vertical Entertainment
Netflix has lined up a bunch of SVOD premieres for the US library this December. Still, one of the most interesting, particularly given the film’s rocky theatrical journey earlier this year, has just been confirmed to be hitting for the holidays. While the movie has been available on PVOD and select other services internationally, this deal brings the high-budget drama exclusively to Netflix subscribers in the United States in the first window.
Here is everything you need to know about Eden before it lands in your queue.
What is ‘Eden’ about?
Based on a bizarre and shocking true story from the 1930s, the film is set on the remote island of Floreana in the Galapagos. It follows a group of Europeans who flee their lives in search of a utopian paradise, free from the constraints of society.
Dr. Friedrich Ritter (Jude Law) and his wife Dora (Vanessa Kirby) are the first to arrive, drafting a manifesto for a new humanity. But their solitude is interrupted by the arrival of the Wittmer family (Daniel Brühl and Sydney Sweeney) and, eventually, a gun-toting, self-styled Baroness (Ana de Armas) who arrives with her two lovers and plans to build a luxury hotel.
What starts as a dream of a “new world” quickly descends into a Lord of the Flies-style nightmare of jealousy, sexual intrigue, and murder.
Who is in the cast?
The cast list is arguably the movie’s biggest selling point. Ron Howard assembled a huge team of dramatic heavyweights and rising stars, including one that has not been able to keep out of the headlines all year:
Currently, this December 23rd release date applies only to Netflix US. Subscribers in the UK, Canada, and Australia should check local listings, as distribution rights for Eden are handled by different partners internationally (including Amazon Prime Video in select territories such as the UK).
Picture: Vertical Entertainment
Should you watch it?
If you like “vacation from hell” movies like The White Lotus or The Beach, but with a grittier, R-rated edge, this is for you. While the film received mixed reviews from critics during its festival run, with some praising the performances but criticizing the pacing, the star power alone will be enough to get many through the door.
It’s a strange, sweaty, and stressful watch that serves as a perfect counter-programming to the usual cheerful holiday movies dropping in late December.
Vertical Entertainment distributes the movie. While Netflix doesn’t have a first window output deal with the distributor, it has premiered many of its films before, such as Ice Road: Vengeance this Summer with Liam Neeson, plus titles like Eric Bana’s A Sacrifice, After Math, and Cold Copy.
Will you be checking out Eden when it lands on Netflix US on December 23rd? Let us know in the comments. For more on what’s coming up on Netflix throughout December 2025, keep it locked here on What’s on Netflix.
