SummaryAn elite private intelligence firm contracts ex-FBI agent Sarah Moss to infiltrate a mysterious anarchist collective, The East, suspected to be responsible for attacking major corporations. Sarah goes undercover, but as she gets closer to the action and the organization's leader, her commitment to her task begins to waver.
Directed By:Zal Batmanglij
Written By:Zal Batmanglij, Brit Marling
The East
Metascore
Generally Favorable
68
User score
Generally Favorable
7.4
My Score
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Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Favorable
72% Positive
26 Reviews
26 Reviews
25% Mixed
9 Reviews
9 Reviews
3% Negative
1 Review
1 Review
Jun 19, 2013
91
The East is a crackling thriller and a political statement tough to peg.
May 30, 2013
80
As the cracklingly cool The East shows, they’re the real deal. It’s not easy to make a thriller where brains and guts are so clearly in cahoots.
User score
Generally Favorable
69% Positive
84 Ratings
84 Ratings
21% Mixed
25 Ratings
25 Ratings
10% Negative
12 Ratings
12 Ratings
Jun 25, 2013
10
What I like best about movies that highlight corporate greed and revenge for the little guy is that the ultimate message is, people matter. The health of their environment matters. Their health matters. Their children matter. And it's not okay for them to be treated as collateral damage by corporate money-mongers. Such is true in real life. On a personal level, what I most appreciated about The East was that it accurately depicted the horrors of a real class of prescription antibiotics, fluoroquinolones. (Per Brit Marling in a Huffington Post interview, they modeled the horrors of the pharmaceutical industry in the film after the real horrors of fluoroquinolone toxicity.) The fictionalized Diaoxin (or something like that) that causes central nervous system damage, tendon rupture, seizures, rash, tremors, etc. is based on real reactions to real drugs, antibiotics that go by the names Cipro, Levaquin, Avelox and Larium. As The East depicted, the effects of these drugs can be devastating. The East also illustrated that onset of adverse symptoms can be delayed, leading to people not identifying the drugs as the culprit in their ill health, the fact that a lawsuit is impossible, or at least difficult, because the side-effects are listed on the package insert, that these drugs are being given to our armed forces in massive quantities, that these drugs are toted as a miracle cure for anthrax, that these drugs are commonly used in Africa (and other places in the world where malaria is common) to treat traveler’s diarrhea and malaria, etc. Really, they did an awesome job at portraying as complete a picture as possible of fluoroquinolones and their toxicity. I know, it sounds unbelievable, as if I'm basing my assessment of reality on the movie. In reality, the movie was based on true stories of fluoroquinolone toxicity. Please look at The Fluoroquinolone Wall of Pain on Facebook for stories of illness and my blog, ****, for stories of hope and healing.
Jun 21, 2013
10
Compelling....................................................................................................................................................................
Jun 6, 2013
75
This is an effective genre piece. And Marling's quiet way of anchoring a scene is subtle enough to escape detection in almost any narrative circumstance.
Apr 26, 2013
75
As slickly paced as a big-studio espionage movie, it nearly succeeds as a pure adrenaline-rush thriller. In the end, the problem isn't that there's too much plot, but rather a certain dramatic illogic.
Apr 26, 2013
70
This clever, involving spy drama builds to a terrific level of intrigue before losing some steam in its second half.
Jun 14, 2013
60
Even if it doesn't provide all the answers, "The East" asks some pretty darn good questions.
May 30, 2013
38
Let’s say you wanted to have another go at “Red Dawn” but you think more like Redford. Voilà: You’d have The East, a cockamamie valentine to eco-terrorism.
Nov 28, 2013
6
It had a good storyline the plot was also fine but the actresses brit marling and ellen page was terrible through out the movie especially I dint expect such a let down from the inception fame "page". Over all, its a pretty descent movie with some message to society given in a thrilling story line
Nov 17, 2013
6
Cautionary tale of the consequences of getting too close to a cause you're to undermine or subvert. In this case, the protagonist (Sarah) flips from "establishment" to counter-culture but is intent on pursuing their aims non-violently, contrary to the group's MO. Could also be seen as another tale of how one person can make a difference.
Jan 23, 2025
3
Belki içerik yoksunluğunda bakılabilir. Onun dışında tavsiye etmiyorum. Daha kaliteli içeriklere yönelin.
May 4, 2016
3
Evil corporations aided by evil security firm that employs star Marling who infiltrates well-intentioned but evil-prone eco-terrorists. Predictably she's attracted to star Alexsander and gets all confused about where her true loyalties lie. Basically she stays confused for The East's running length. The eco-terrorists are semi-sympathetically drawn and Julia Ormond is great in a small role as a corporate baddie who 'turns' (with good reason). The whole endeavor is semi-stimulating and I guarantee you have seen worse. But in its lame attempt to sort out ethics and morality the film feels like an opportunity mostly missed.
Production Company:
- Dune Entertainment
- Scott Free Productions
Release Date:May 31, 2013
Duration:1 h 56 m
Rating:PG-13
Tagline:Spy on us, we'll spy on you.
Awards
Women's Image Network Awards
• 3 Nominations
Golden Trailer Awards
• 2 Nominations
Traverse City Film Festival
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination
