Paradise movie storyline. Set in the not too distant future where the company AEON has become a multi-billion dollar big pharma conglomerate. The start-up managed it with a revolutionary technology that makes it possible to transfer lifespan from one person to another.
Max and Elena have a perfect life. But everything suddenly changes when the couple encounters unexpected insurance claims that they cannot afford to pay. To pay off her debts, Elena (Marlene Tanzcik) must “pay” with 40 years of her life. Deprived of a life to spend together, the couple’s life falls apart. Max (Kostja Ullmann), who works at AEON, does everything he can to bring back Elena’s lost years, but nothing will ever be the same again.
Paradise is a German dystopian science fiction thriller directed by Boris Kunz from 2023. The main roles are played by Kostja Ullmann, Corinna Kirchhoff, Marlene Tanczik and Iris Berben. The film was released on Netflix on July 27, 2023.
About the Story
The biotech startup Aeon has become a billion-dollar company under the leadership of founder Sophie Theissen. Through a medical procedure, the company transfers years of young people’s lives to people willing to pay, who financially compensate the lifetime donors. The procedure requires unspecified genetic matches between donor and recipient, which are cataloged through cheek swabs. A collective called “The Adam Group” does not agree with Aeon’s technology and actively and violently opposes it. Their leader Lilith and her followers carry out several attacks on recipients of transferred years of life.
Max Toma, a representative of Aeon, persuades people to part with their years. He speaks from his own experience, having traded five years of his life to finance his studies. Max is a staunch supporter of his employer and appreciates the obvious advantages of age exchange. Through his work he was able to afford a luxurious apartment with his wife Elena. He has no idea that his wife has placed a 40-year deposit as a condition of the loan.
When her apartment burns down, the insurance doesn’t pay anything because the cause was Elena’s carelessness. Max tries to negotiate with Sophie, but only gets a slightly better job that doesn’t make enough money. When they can no longer repay the loan, Elena is arrested by the authorities and undergoes surgery at Aeon. In doing so, she will be deprived of thirty-eight years. As a result, her body ages abruptly and she becomes an old woman within a few days.
Max suspects that Sophie has received Elena’s years of life in order to rejuvenate herself, as she needs more time to research and optimize the age donation process. It turns out that Sophie had already become aware of Elena as a suitable time donor years before and that Max had approached her.
However, Max fell in love with Elena and the two married. So that Sophie still receives her donation of time, she set the apartment on fire. Max is angry and wants to reverse the donation with the help of an underground organization from Lithuania. He kidnaps young Sophie and escapes with Elena. However, it turns out that Max did not kidnap young Sophie, but rather her daughter Marie. He still wants to implement his plan to give Sophie a lesson. Elena is initially not enthusiastic about Max’s plan. However, since the two want to start a family, she finally agrees.
However, the trio is captured by Adam’s group. Lilith plans to lure Sophie into a trap and kill her. Max helps her because she threatens to kill Elena. A rejuvenated Sophie actually shows up and wants to talk to her daughter. There is an argument in which Sophie is shot. There are also several victims in the Adam group, including Lilith. Elena and Max are able to escape with Marie.
They make their way to Dr. Berg, who should reverse the time donation. Max has doubts about his plan because he realizes that he will then be no better than Sophie. He confesses to Elena that he wants to bury the plan. However, she doesn’t agree and throws Max out of the car. When she reaches her destination, she has the donation reversed with Marie as the donor. Marie can then be rescued by her mother’s security personnel. However, she has to realize that her mother has no intention of reversing her donation of time.
Paradise (2023)
Directed by: Boris Kunz
Starring: Kostja Ullmann, Corinna Kirchhoff, Marlene Tanczik, Iris Berben:, Alina Levshin, Lisa-Marie Koroll, Lorna Ishema, Numan Acar, Lisa Loven Kongsli, Tom Böttcher, Alida Bohnen
Screenplay by: Peter Kocyla, Boris Kunz,, Simon Amberger
Production Design by: Marc Bitz, Josef Brandl
Cinematography by: Christian Stangassinger
Film Editing by: Max Fey
Costume Design by: Bettina Catharina Proske
Set Decoration by: Ieva Rojute
Art Direction by: Michael Fissneider, Ainis Jankauskas
Music by: David Reichelt, Panic Girl
MPAA Rating: None.
Distributed by: Netflix
Release Date: July 27, 2023
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