Facebook Twitter Instagram
    Latest
    • Thank You
    • 4000. Scenes From A Marriage (1973)
    • 3999. The Pianist (2002)
    • 3998. Philadelphia (1993)
    • 3997. Jeanne Dielman, 23 Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (1975)
    • 3996. The Green Mile (1999)
    • 3995. Doctor Zhivago (1965)
    • 3994. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022)
    The Mad Movie Man
    • Home
    • Blog
      • All Posts
      • Best Of The Year
        • Best Of 2015
        • Best Of 2016
        • Best Of 2017
        • Best Of 2018
        • Best Of 2019
        • Best Of 2020
        • Best Of 2021
        • Best Of 2022
      • The Decade In Review
      • Box Office Analysis
      • James Bond
      • Oscars
      • RANKED
      • Star Wars
      • The Big Questions
      • Top 10
      • World Cinema
    • Ratings
      • Top 250
      • Top 100 Foreign Films
      • Bottom 50
      • 0 – 1.9
      • 2 – 3.9
      • 4 – 5.9
      • 6 – 7.9
      • 8 – 10
    • Genres
      • Action
      • Anthology
      • Animation
      • Christmas
      • Comedy
      • Crime
      • Documentary
      • Drama
      • Fantasy
      • Film-Noir
      • History
      • Horror
      • Kids’
      • Musical
      • Psychological
      • Romance
      • Sci-Fi
      • Short
      • Silent
      • Sport
      • Superhero
      • Survival
      • Thriller
      • Western
    • Release Year
      • 2020s
      • 2010s
      • 2000s
      • 1990s
      • 1980s
      • 1970s
      • 1960s
      • 1950s
      • 1940s
      • 1930s
      • 1920s
    • Country
      • Afghanistan
      • Argentina
      • Australia
      • Austria
      • Belgium
      • Brazil
      • Cambodia
      • Canada
      • Chile
      • China
      • Colombia
      • Costa Rica
      • Czechoslovakia
      • Czech Republic
      • Denmark
      • East Timor
      • Faroe Islands
      • Finland
      • France
      • Germany
      • Georgia
      • Greece
      • Hong Kong
      • Hungary
      • Iceland
      • India
      • Indonesia
      • Iran
      • Iraq
      • Ireland
      • Israel
      • Italy
      • Japan
      • Latvia
      • Lebanon
      • Laos
      • Malaysia
      • Mexico
      • New Zealand
      • Nigeria
      • North Korea
      • Norway
      • Paraguay
      • Peru
      • Philippines
      • Poland
      • Romania
      • Russia
      • Saudi Arabia
      • Singapore
      • South Korea
      • South Africa
      • Soviet Union
      • Spain
      • Sweden
      • Switzerland
      • Syria
      • Taiwan
      • Thailand
      • Turkey
      • Uganda
      • United Kingdom
      • United States
      • Uruguay
      • Vietnam
      • Zambia
    • About
    The Mad Movie Man
    You are at:Home»Review»3370. Paradise Hills (2019)

    3370. Paradise Hills (2019)

    0
    By The Mad Movie Man on June 5, 2021 2019, 6 - 7.9, 90-99 mins, Drama, Jun 21, Movies Of 2021, Review, Sci-Fi, Spain
    6.8 Style over substance
    • Acting 7.1
    • Directing 6.9
    • Story 6.4
    • User Ratings (0 Votes) 0

    Starring: Emma Roberts, Awkwafina, Danielle Macdonald

    Director: Alice Waddington

    Running Time: 95 mins


    Paradise Hills is a Spanish film about a young woman who awakes in an idyllic training school, but soon discovers that there are dark secrets which underpin its very existence.

    A high-concept sci-fi drama with an all-star cast and utterly gorgeous visuals, Paradise Hills is certainly a striking watch at first glance, but there’s an argument to say there’s little more to it than that. Though it does a good job at creating mystery through a dreamlike atmosphere, the film struggles to deliver much emotional depth, proving a rather boring, if not occasionally enjoyably quirky, watch throughout.

    In all truth, I wasn’t fully enthralled by Paradise Hills, but it’s at least not a forgettable watch, counting on an interesting concept and impressive visual execution that certainly stick in the memory, while very little about the story does.

    Above all, the film’s style is definitely what makes it tick. A brilliant blend of period drama-style costume and futuristic sci-fi design, Paradise Hills more often than not looks like a set made for the front page of a magazine, or even a music video, not much unlike K-12.

    Complete with an elegant cast full of A-listers, including the brilliant Emma Roberts, Eiza González, Awkwafina, Danielle Macdonald and Milla Jovovich as the Nurse Ratched of the school, there’s no shortage of talent on screen here, and the film is certainly an absolute delight to look at from star to finish.

    However, while it is indeed a bit of a clichĂ©, it’s fair to say that Paradise Hills really does suffer from a case of style over substance. You can certainly make the case that its style is a big part of its substance, and that’s why I still think the film is praiseworthy, but it really struggles to deliver much intrigue beyond its visual prowess.

    While there is a good bit of mystery and tension in the early stages that’s bolstered by the film’s unsettling, dreamlike atmosphere, it almost robs you of that ambiguity by the end of the first act, revealing the majority of what’s going on, and where the characters actually are.

    That really takes away from the horror of the dark ideas that are floating through your head, and up until the final reveal of what’s actually going on – which comes in the final twenty minutes – there really isn’t much to care about through most of the film.

    Again, the visuals are sumptuous enough to keep your attention throughout, but the movie has very little dramatic or emotional intrigue, or even gripping sci-fi mystery, to keep you fully enthralled throughout. And even when all is revealed at the end, it feels like a rather cheap and ham-fisted finale that doesn’t follow the direction the story was following.

    Overall, Paradise Hills is a real mixed bag of a film. Visually, it’s as splendid as can be, with gorgeous production and costume design across the board, alongside eerie, dreamlike atmosphere and a collection of brilliant A-listers in the lead roles. Narratively, however, the film is a real mess, lacking the tension and mystery throughout to deliver on its high-concept premise, and proving a largely dull, albeit not forgettable watch. So, that’s why I’m giving it a 6.8.

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    The Mad Movie Man
    • Website
    • Facebook
    • Twitter

    The Mad Movie Man, AKA Anthony Cullen, writes articles and reviews about movies and the world of cinema. From January 1st, 2013 to December 31st, 2022, he watched and reviewed a movie every day. This is the blog dedicated to the project: www.madmovieman.com

    Related Posts

    8.2

    4000. Scenes From A Marriage (1973)

    7.8

    3999. The Pianist (2002)

    8.2

    3998. Philadelphia (1993)

    Follow Me Online!
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
    • Tumblr
    New Releases
    8.2
    December 25, 2022

    3994. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022)

    5.6
    December 10, 2022

    3969. Falling For Christmas (2022)

    6.9
    December 4, 2022

    3956. The People We Hate At The Wedding (2022)

    5.4
    December 3, 2022

    3954. Disenchanted (2022)

    7.4
    December 3, 2022

    3953. Meet Cute (2022)

    7.6
    November 23, 2022

    3934. Do Revenge (2022)

    7.0
    November 18, 2022

    3929. The Wonder (2022)

    6.7
    November 13, 2022

    3924. See How They Run (2022)

    Recommended Movies
    8.2
    Review
    January 16, 20140

    420. Blue Jasmine (2013)

    8.4
    Review
    August 1, 20160

    1438. Harold And Maude (1971)

    8.4
    Review
    October 28, 20180

    2328. The Perfect Crime (2004)

    8.2
    Review
    August 26, 20140

    670. How To Steal A Million (1966)

    8.4
    Review
    February 15, 20170

    1662. The Lego Batman Movie (2017)

    Popular Posts
    December 31, 2022

    Thank You

    8.2
    December 31, 2022

    4000. Scenes From A Marriage (1973)

    7.8
    December 30, 2022

    3999. The Pianist (2002)

    8.2
    December 29, 2022

    3998. Philadelphia (1993)

    7.5
    December 28, 2022

    3997. Jeanne Dielman, 23 Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (1975)

    9.1
    December 27, 2022

    3996. The Green Mile (1999)

    7.6
    December 26, 2022

    3995. Doctor Zhivago (1965)

    © 2023 ThemeSphere. Designed by ThemeSphere.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.