There’s a lot to be said about Netflix’s foreign-language genre films being a lot more unique, interesting, and engaging than their big budget Hollywood counterparts despite being made for a fraction of the cost, and sci-fi thriller Paradise is merely the latest in a long line of examples to come along.
The streaming service can always be relied upon to focus more attention on A-list stars and effects-heavy set pieces whenever it dips its toes into the waters of high concept cinema, but director Boris Kunz has laughed in the face of that notion with a character-driven tale that maximizes its resources to deliver a moving parable on the difference between being alive and living.
In the not too distant future, a company has made the ability to transfer years of life from one person to the other into a billion-dollar enterprise, but it’s still always best to read the small print. As a result, couple Max and Elena find their existence upended when they find themselves plunged into debt, with the wife forced to “pay” with 40 years, robbing them of their future in the process.
A fascinating sci-fi that asks heavy thematic questions while still bringing plenty of entertainment to the table, Paradise hasn’t wasted any time in staking its claim as one of Netflix’s most popular international features to come along in a while. Per FlixPatrol, it’s debuted on the Top 10 in 78 countries globally to land as the second most-watched movie on the entire worldwide rankings, and on its current trajectory it might already be in with a shot at securing all-time viewership status.
