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The East

Play trailer 1:46 Poster for The East Released Aug 13, 2021 2h 20m War Drama Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
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70% Tomatometer 10 Reviews 53% Popcornmeter Fewer than 50 Ratings
During the post-WW2 Indonesian War of Independence, a young Dutch soldier joins an elite unit led by a mysterious captain known only as "The Turk." When the fighting intensifies, the young soldier finds himself questioning -- and ultimately challenging -- his commander's brutal strategy to stop the resistance.
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The East

Critics Reviews

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Phuong Le Guardian Ostensibly a critique of imperialism, The East inadvertently commits the same sins as the old empire once did, as Indonesian characters are no more than window dressing. Rated: 2/5 Sep 27, 2021 Full Review Marc Savlov Austin Chronicle The East is an unrelenting condemnation of the Netherlands' misguided attempt to return its colonial outreach to a time long gone while hitting most (if not all) of the "doomed war" niche genre movie tropes without ever actually teetering into cliche. Rated: 3/5 Aug 17, 2021 Full Review Simon Abrams RogerEbert.com The East features more indulgence than criticism of the chauvinistic mentality that leads men to think that they can use others as a mirror for their own problems. Rated: 2/4 Aug 13, 2021 Full Review Ema Sasic Next Best Picture "The East" doesn't do much different when telling the story of the Indonesian War of Independence, but it does bring a new subject matter to viewers' attention that continues to show the painful side of war. Rated: 6/10 Jun 21, 2022 Full Review Rob Aldam Backseat Mafia It's a powerful story told with an eye for the epic. Oct 4, 2021 Full Review Carla Hay Culture Mix [It] could've been just another war film about a young man who starts off as a naïve soldier and ends up emotionally damaged. However, this sprawling epic about a Dutch soldier in the Indonesian War of Independence has intriguing and unpredictable twists. Sep 5, 2021 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Raoul D Jim Taihuttu is one of the best Dutch current directors and screenwriters. De Oost is technically stunning with great cinematography and good editing. Taihuttu makes absolutely great use of the scenery and action. However the use of flashbacks/forwards and mainly the acting are very weak parts. The movie definitely misses a good acting performance to keep interesting dialogues. The storyline in itself is profound, but the ending is insufficiently satisfactory. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 07/31/23 Full Review Audience Member This war movie was alright. The entire cast did a decent job in this movie and the plot of the movie was tedious and depressing. It's about fighting a war that isn't what you thought. If you haven't seen this movie yet, don't waste your time. It's not worth it. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 02/18/23 Full Review Audience Member The story is very entertaining. The acting is great. But some parts of the movie were a bit weird. Ijust didn't get them. But for the rest it's a great movie. I recommend it! Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/13/23 Full Review James B It is a great movie. It takes me back to Full Metal Jacket and Apocalypse Now. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 12/27/21 Full Review Read all reviews
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Movie Info

Synopsis During the post-WW2 Indonesian War of Independence, a young Dutch soldier joins an elite unit led by a mysterious captain known only as "The Turk." When the fighting intensifies, the young soldier finds himself questioning -- and ultimately challenging -- his commander's brutal strategy to stop the resistance.
Director
Jim Taihuttu
Producer
Shanty Harmayn, Julius Ponten, Benoit Roland, Sander Verdonk
Screenwriter
Jim Taihuttu, Mustafa Duygulu
Distributor
Magnet Releasing
Production Co
Wrong Men North, New Amsterdam Film Company, Base Entertainment, Kaninga Pictures, XYZ Films, Ideosource Entertainment, Salto Films
Genre
War, Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
Dutch
Release Date (Theaters)
Aug 13, 2021, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Aug 13, 2021
Box Office (Gross USA)
$46
Runtime
2h 20m
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