The East

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The East

PG-13,

2013,

1h 56m,

Mystery & Thriller/

Adventure/

Drama

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Watchlist

Watchlist

77%

148 Reviews

Tomatometer

64%

10,000+ Ratings

Popcornmeter

77%

Tomatometer

148 Reviews

64%

Popcornmeter

10,000+ Ratings

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.

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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Candice Frederick

Reel Talk Online

Sep 7, 2017

B+

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

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Wesley Morris

Grantland

Jan 6, 2014

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.

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Scott Tobias

The Dissolve

Jul 11, 2013

2.5/5

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

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Matt Oakes

Silver Screen Riot

Oct 15, 2026

B-

Lobbing stink bombs at corporations may seem like a fruitless undertaking, especially under the auspices of Fox Searchlight, but at least Batmanglij is taking a step in the right direction.

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Eddie Harrison

film-authority.com

Mar 6, 2023

4/5

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

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Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

Aug 23, 2022

3/4

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.

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Anakin W

May 3, 2018

Uma mulher trabalha para uma empresa que minimiza o dano das empresas e pra isso se infiltra em terroristas para descobrir seus ataques e alvos, para comunicar as empresas... a moça se apaixona e acaba se envolvendo com os terroristas... mas o filme é um pouco fraco....

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Rey W

Nov 9, 2017

Good premise but they didn't really go anywhere with it.

Poe S

Jun 11, 2017

Very unique film. The cast is pretty good, but the film is a little unexplained. It was disappointing that they reverted to the "rich kids rebel" activism. Its like white savior syndrome without the racial divides. And it was odd how the activists resembled a cult more than anything. The East is a really interesting movie with a huge flaw of having inconsistent motivations that don't always follow logic.

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Theodore R

May 10, 2017

Entertaining but not dumb thriller. Probably not as ethically radical as it thinks it is, but refreshing in being female-led and making both sides problematic.

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Hermione S

Mar 13, 2017

1* I took a wrong turn on Netflix and watched this winner of a film. The characters are as vapid as the direction. By the end of the movie I was cheering for the greedy corporations.

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Draco P

May 23, 2013

Incredible movie that deals with a big topic. The cast also does an amazing job, especially Ellen Page.

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Zal Batmanglij

Director

Brit Marling

Sarah

Alexander Skarsgård

Benji

Elliot Page

Izzy

Toby Kebbell

Doc

Shiloh Fernandez

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Digital Multiplex: Iron Man 3, The Bling Ring, and More

Critics Consensus: After Earth is Lost in Space

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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
Producer: Ridley Scott, Michael Costigan, Jocelyn Hayes Simpson, Brit Marling
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
Runtime: 1h 56m

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