The East

PG-13

Released May 31, 2013

1 hr. 56 min.

Mystery & Thriller

Adventure

Drama

List

77%

148 Reviews

Tomatometer

64%

10,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

Sarah (Brit Marling), an undercover agent at a private intelligence firm, is hired to infiltrate the East, an ecoterrorism cell targeting companies that pollute the environment. Though one (Elliot Page) of the group's hardcore members is suspicious of her, Sarah manages to win over Benji (Alexander Skarsgård), the East's leader. However -- even as Sarah tries to maintain her cover -- she gains more sympathy for the group's cause while, increasingly, becoming drawn to Benji.

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Critics Consensus

Tense, thoughtful, and deftly paced, The East is a political thriller that never loses sight of the human element.

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Stephanie B

Great idea but the Christian undercover girl was not a befitting partner for Skarsgard. The ending was not believable, how does a disgraced and wanted ex agent have the money to fly around the world to forewarn others? Great idea but not a great ending.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

01/15/24

Full Review

Gareth v

An entertaining thriller that takes on some big and current issues and does so effectively. The performances of Page & Marling are some of their best in this movie.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

06/18/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Brit Marling, Alexander Skarsgard, Elliot Page (Ellen formerly), Toby Kebell, Shiloh Fernandez, and Patricia Clarkson Sarah is an undercover agent at an intelligence group and is hired to infiltrate a so-called eco-terrorist group called The East It's actually an anarchist group fighting for environmental rights Major corporations are being targeted by these individuals to make the higher ups pay for what they're doing to our planet; pollution, toxic chemicals, endangering the wildlife etc. Sarah gains their trust but slowly starts to sympathize with their cause what they're trying to accomplish Izzy, is very noble to it mainly because her own father estranged her and he's one of the figures in charge of these corrupt corporations This is a very socially conscious thriller; director Zal Batmanglij takes the time to have us care out about society as well as corporate values in the economy It's very sincere addressing real issues when it comes to environmental protection Untested pharmaceuticals and dumping chemicals in the water and profiting from it is ripped straight from the headlines Sarah's role here is to decide whether or not the means justify the ends although she might affected heavily considering how deep she goes After all these group members have left the normal world seeing how messed up it is forming their own collective The set up and executions of this group's plans are thrilling and compelling Maybe groups like The East have us save ourselves while exposing ourselves--as well as punishing us, a lot of what the film handles is complacency looking at what we take for granted Not all of us are beautiful with trust funds to rebel against (activists or terrorists), people have to be held accountable, do people respond more to firepower, getting upset?, it's easier to say we don't know, or the system broken? The film is tense, well-paced,thoughtful never losing that human element Brit Marling is phenomenal in a movie about waking us up to take radical action

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

05/31/23

Full Review

isla s

I thought this was a really good film - at times quite gripping, certainly thought provoking and with a variety of characters. I found myself feeling perhaps the same as the main character, Sarah, at times - concerned about what the group were doing or planning but also questioning The people in the cult/group are shown to have flaws and thus are, of course, very much human. The stories of people who had their health badly affected due to products made by the companies/corporations the titular group target made me wonder if I would also, to a certain extent, back what was going on. Its definitely a film that highlights moral grey area(s), if that makes any sense?. As well as anger at corporate greed and the negative effects on others and the environment that are brought to light, the film also covers themes including control and trust. I thought Brit Marling did really well as the main character, Sarah. She portrayed her emotions very well, I felt. The film features a good use of sound effects to add to the tension in scenes, banging drums and things at times. I felt it was a chilling watch at times and I'd happily recommend it.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

ian u

Predictable from beginning to end, this film showcases the Hollywood uber-woke agenda almost as much as its environmental activism subject matter. This is the epitome of what the film industry has become. I don't like being lectured at by dysfunctional Hollywood hypocrites, thank you very much.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

I gained sympathy for the terrorists as well.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/24/23

Full Review

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Zal Batmanglij

Director

Brit Marling

Sarah

Alexander Skarsgård

Benji

Elliot Page

Izzy

Toby Kebbell

Doc

Shiloh Fernandez

Luca

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Candice Frederick

Reel Talk Online

Its the rather sensitive portrayals from each character that you will remember the most.

Rated: B+

Sep 7, 2017

Full Review

Wesley Morris

Grantland

Marling and Batmanglij don't fear or resent entertainment: They make effective thrillers... If they reach a major studio and bigger budget, they could be the right kind of dangerous.

Jan 6, 2014

Full Review

Scott Tobias

The Dissolve

The biggest issue with The East is that Batmanglij and Marling so thoroughly rig the script in the environmentalists' favor.

Rated: 2.5/5

Jul 11, 2013

Full Review

Eddie Harrison

film-authority.com

…The East is a minor gem as far as subversive, intelligent thrillers go…

Rated: 4/5

Mar 6, 2023

Full Review

Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

That the film leaves us thinking about our morals yet has involved us in the entertaining intrigue of a spy drama is a testament to its effectiveness as a thriller and a project with something to say.

Rated: 3/4

Aug 23, 2022

Full Review

Jordan M. Smith

IONCINEMA.com

One of those rare films that brings fringe affairs to the fore through broadly entertaining engagement, The East is a fiery, enthralling work of political fiction and a meteoric flare of hope for the future of mainstream cinema.

Nov 12, 2020

Full Review

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Synopsis

Sarah (Brit Marling), an undercover agent at a private intelligence firm, is hired to infiltrate the East, an ecoterrorism cell targeting companies that pollute the environment. Though one (Elliot Page) of the group's hardcore members is suspicious of her, Sarah manages to win over Benji (Alexander Skarsgård), the East's leader. However -- even as Sarah tries to maintain her cover -- she gains more sympathy for the group's cause while, increasingly, becoming drawn to Benji.

Director: Zal Batmanglij
Executive Producer: Tony Scott
Screenwriter: Zal Batmanglij, Brit Marling
Distributor: Fox Searchlight
Production Co: Scott Free Productions
Rating: PG-13 (Sexual Content|Partial Nudity|Some Disturbing Images|Thematic Elements|Violence)
Genre: Mystery & Thriller, Adventure, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): May 31, 2013, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 25, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA): $2.3M

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